The True Secret to Success: What If Martin Luther King, Jr., Had Compared Himself to Others?

Steven Gaffney, CEO & President, Steven Gaffney CompanyImagine a world in which Martin Luther King, Jr., had been nothing more than a preacher with a sizeable congregation, Bill Gates was nothing more than an effective manager at an IT firm, and Oprah Winfrey just a newscaster at a Baltimore television station. Suppose Warren Buffet was nothing more than a man who managed his money well in order to provide a nice life for his family. We probably wouldn’t know their names, yet by most standards they would still be deemed successful.Yet I believe that true success is the degree to which we reach our full potential. By that standard, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and Warren Buffet could not be called successful if they did not achieve what we all now know they were capable of.  If they had been satisfied with comparing themselves favorably with others, they may have not been inspired to achieve what they achieved. Where would our society be without the contributions they have made? What would the landscape of twenty-first-century America look like without them?Fortunately, they did not suffer what many people suffer from--Comparison Success Obstructer ™(CSO). [QUERY: I suggest you consider using the word “obstruction” rather than obstructer.] People with this affliction compare themselves with others to gauge their own success. Those comparisons can sadly set us up for mediocrity. If Warren Buffet suffered from CSO, he could have taken a look at his neighbor and been satisfied with the idea of building a bigger house, purchasing a nicer car, and sending his children to better schools. Oprah Winfrey could have landed her job as a Baltimore newscaster, compared herself to friends and colleagues, and decided she was doing quite well just where she was.Many organizations suffer from CSO. They even go so far as to benchmark their achievements against other organizations. Perhaps yours does this too. While benchmarking can produce some good results, it can also chain your organization to the common results of others—restraining you from catapulting beyond the competition and producing breakthrough results.Comparing ourselves to the competition begs the question -- so what? So what if you can move widgets faster than Widget Movers Express? So what if you are the leader in a certain technology? So what if you are the highest in retention? Are those reasons to be content? So what?Maybe your organization has untold “Martin Luther King, Jr.,” potential. Maybe there is a life-changing discovery or invention lurking within your organization -- within the minds of your employees. Maybe it is within you! But this is unlikely to happen as long as you or others around you suffer from CSO.I once heard an interview with John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball coach who won seven straight NCAA titles and nine titles in eleven years. The interviewer asked Wooden for his keys to success, and Wooden said that after each game – regardless of the score -- he asked his players, did you play your best?  Think about this. In professional sports, team dynasties result from an effective coach and a few outstanding players who are with the team year after year. But the make-up of teams in college basketball is constantly changing as new students join the team and others move on to graduate. But the changing roster didn’t hinder Coach Wooden. He built a dynasty in part by asking the ever-changing faces on his team, did you play your best?Imagine if we were asked that on a daily basis. What would your answer be? Is it time to step it up, push ourselves, regardless of what others say? I think so. Not because we have to, not because there is something wrong, but because we can. After all, isn’t that what true success is all about?That is why I believe we need to drop the judgments and comparisons with others. We need to stop looking behind us to see who is chasing us. Instead we need to run fast regardless of the others in the race and push ourselves to see what is possible.This is what striving for true success is all about. Are you playing your best, or are you settling for what you think you can get rather than going for what you truly want? What are you willing to do about it? After all, the only person you can control is yourself. You cannot necessarily control what others do, but you are fully responsible for the way you respond and the actions you take to achieve the results you really want. Attaining perfection may be hard, but making progress is easy.WARNING: If you choose to stop suffering from CSO and strive for what you can become, brace yourself and make sure you enjoy the ride, because there is an ironic twist that will come your way. The twist is that successful people often don’t think of themselves as particularly successful. If fact, the more successful they are, the more they recognize the gap between where they are and what they can become.A while back, I saw a documentary about the incredible life and achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr.  One of the many things that shocked me was that he was plagued by the thought that he had not yet done enough. Imagine that. As successful and accomplished as he was, he was not satisfied—not even close.Martin Luther King, Jr., was chasing down a dream. He knew that there was always more to do. There was always more that he could expect of himself. He had a vision for the future, and that vision was not limited by comparisons or others’ expectations. True success is not about how we compare with others, but how we compare with what we truly can become. [author] About the Author: Would you believe that the most common obstacle holding businesses back from their true potential is open, effective honest communication? No one knows this better than Steven Gaffney, who, for two decades, has been one of the most recognized experts on the subject of Honesty, specializing in managing change to drive team performance, collaboration, and revenue through honest communication. Mr. Gaffney’s inability to speak due to hearing impairments as a child forced him to learn at a very early age the importance of effective communication. This problem stimulated Steven’s desire to help individuals transform the quality of their professional and personal lives through honest and open communication, and is what drove the foundation of The Steven Gaffney Company. Steven is the author of three books, “Just Be Honest” “Honesty Works!” and “Honesty Sells,” and an expert on getting the unsaid said. Steven’s signature “Notice vs. Imagine” technique helps us to eradicate false assumptions and tackle issues with velocity. By giving people a common language, Steven’s expert advice give clients a baseline to help eliminate misunderstandings in their organizations and elicit open and honest communication. Steven Gaffney is a highly respected member of the National Speakers Association, and his programs consistently receive high ratings with attendees and participants reporting immediate, sustainable results. He is also a former adjunct faculty member of The Johns Hopkins University, as well as former board member of the Washington, D.C. chapter of Sales and Marketing Executives International. [/author]