In my previous article, Why Your Definition of Success Is Probably Wrong (And What To Pursue Instead), I argued that many people spend their lives pursuing goals that were never truly their own. We inherit definitions of success from society, family, colleagues, and social media without ever stopping to ask whether they align with our values and stage of life.

Today, I want to build on that conversation.

Having spent more than 15 years in the workplace since joining industry in 2011 shortly after my final-year presentation at university, I have had the privilege of working with people from different sectors, professions, and backgrounds. I was among the blessed few [not lucky few] who secured employment opportunity  immediately after final university exams. I intentionally use the word blessed because I do not subscribe to the common interpretation of luck as some mysterious force disconnected from preparation, effort, and opportunity.

Over those years, I have observed something fascinating.

Most people fall into one of two groups when it comes to success.

One group believes success is abundant.

The other believes success is scarce.

That seemingly small difference creates remarkably different human beings.

Success Is Not in Short Supply

Let me start with my own position.

I believe you can have as much success as you want.

And so can I.

Your achievements do not reduce my chances of succeeding. My growth does not prevent yours. Your promotion does not automatically block my progress. Your business success does not diminish my opportunities.

Success is not a finite resource.

It is not oil.

It is not land.

It is not a mineral with limited reserves.

As Grant Cardone wrote in The 10X Rule, success will never be in short supply because it is created through ideas, creativity, innovation, persistence, determination, intelligence, originality, and effort. The world has never suffered from a shortage of problems needing solutions. Therefore, it can never suffer a shortage of opportunities for those willing to create value.

Unfortunately, not everyone sees it this way.

The Workplace Scarcity Mindset

The second group views success as though it exists in limited quantities.

To them, success is a zero-sum game.

For every winner, there must be a loser.

For every promotion, someone must be denied.

For every opportunity, someone must be excluded.

You can usually identify these individuals without much difficulty at your workplace.

They are often consumed by envy.

They are insecure at all time. 

They rarely celebrate the achievements of others.

They fight relentlessly for visibility but pay little attention to impact.

They obsess over titles while neglecting value creation.

They spend more time discussing people than discussing solutions.

They constantly compare themselves to colleagues.

They compete for foreign trips, allowances, recognition, and access to the organization’s top bosses to protect their insecuties.

They are often ‘used’ by these top bosses if not careful. 

When corrected, they become defensive rather than reflective.

When others succeed, they become suspicious rather than inspired.

When projects fail, they immediately begin searching for someone to blame.

Many convince themselves that the organization cannot function without them.

They overestimate their own importance while underestimating the contributions of everyone else.

Some spend years complaining about their employers yet never develop alternative skills, additional income streams, professional networks, or opportunities outside their current jobs.

Their entire identity becomes tied to a single position, making them fearful of change and hostile to anyone who appears to be moving ahead.

If you recognize some of these tendencies in yourself, don’t worry. Most of us have displayed them at one point or another.

The important thing is to identify them and deliberately get rid of them.

The Responsibility Advantage

One lesson I have learnt over the years is that successful people rarely play the victim.

They understand that success is not something that happens to them.

It is something that happens because of them.

They take responsibility.

If they win, they take ownership.

If they lose, they take ownership.

If circumstances change, they adapt.

They do not spend years blaming bosses, governments, colleagues, relatives, markets, departments, or fate.

Instead, they ask:

“What can I do next?”

The moment you start believing that someone else’s gain is your loss, you limit your own ability to create success.

The moment you start blaming others for every setback, you surrender your power to improve your situation.

Responsibility is not always comfortable, but it is empowering.

Because once you accept responsibility, you can start creating solutions.

A Final Thought

After fifteen years in the workplace, I have become convinced that the way you view success is almost as important as how you pursue it.

If you see success as scarce, you will spend your life protecting, competing, complaining, comparing, and worrying.

If you see success as abundant, you will spend your life creating, learning, improving, collaborating, and growing.

One mindset shrinks your world.

The other expands it.

So the next time someone around you succeeds, resist the temptation to ask, “Why them?”

Instead ask:

“What can I learn from them?”

Because success is not something that happens at your expense.

Success is something you create.

And the good news is that there is still plenty of it available.

Until next time,

Believe. Build. Be Bold.

— Dr. Mwesi Leo

 Career & Business | Productivity Systems | Financial Freedom

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