As a leadership speaker who started as an NFL player before beginning a career coaching teams for high performance, I’ve observed a common pattern among high achievers. After reaching conventional success, many experience a surprising emptiness–a sense that, despite their accomplishments, something essential is missing.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to business. During my professional football career, I witnessed teammates achieve their lifelong dream of playing professional football, only to find themselves asking, “Is this it?” Imagine my surprise when I encountered this same phenomenon in the business world. This same question echoes through executive suites and boardrooms worldwide.
The missing element is significance, which I define as the profound impact that transcends personal achievement and creates lasting value for others.
The journey from success to significance requires a fundamental shift in mindset. While success is primarily about what you achieve, significance focuses on what you contribute. This transition represents more than semantic difference; it transforms how corporations execute their team leadership goals. By taking a nuanced approach to every decision and initiative, high-performing teams not only achieve more, they also serve their clients and everyone around them better.
Organizations led by significance-oriented executives display several distinctive characteristics:
- They pursue a leadership purpose beyond profit.
- They measure impact beyond quarterly results.
- They develop people beyond productivity metrics.
- They build legacies beyond leadership tenures.
As a growth mindset speaker, I often draw parallels between athletic achievement and business leadership. The most respected athletes aren’t just those with impressive statistics–they’re the ones who elevate their teammates, contribute to their communities, and leave their sports careers better than they started them.
The same principle applies to business leadership. The most admired executives aren’t just those who deliver strong financial results. They’re the ones who develop future leaders, strengthen their organizations’ foundations, and create positive ripple effects throughout their industries. They foster the attributes of high-performing teams among their colleagues and direct reports, and they empower and uplift everyone around them in the process.
This shift from success to significance doesn’t diminish the importance of conventional achievements. Rather, it places those achievements within a larger context of meaning and purpose. High-performance team leaders in my executive coaching programs still pursue excellence in traditional metrics, but they do so as means to create a greater impact that goes beyond hitting KPIs and doubling revenue. When a leader pours energy into their people, the organization hits its numbers as a byproduct of those efforts.
For companies seeking sustainable excellence, this distinction matters profoundly. Companies focused solely on success often achieve short-term gains at the expense of long-term sustainability. In contrast, significance-oriented businesses create enduring value for all stakeholders while simultaneously driving impressive business results.
As you consider your organization’s leadership approach, ask yourself: Are you pursuing success, or are you creating significance? The answer will determine not just what you achieve, but what you ultimately become.
