Thoughts From Thirty-Plus Years of Personal Success Consumption
Words change. Actions are what matter.
How I Arrived Here
My introduction to personal development literature came when I spied Success magazine on a local newsstand around the mid-’80s. This led to a book by W. Clement Stone, Believe And Achieve if my mind recalls accurately, then on to Entrepreneur, Inc. and a Canadian magazine called Profit at the time.
Success magazine was my gateway drug to the cult of personal success and the false belief that a fair playing field existed for everyone. Despite the obvious contrary nature of the real world playing out in one of the more popular movies of the time “Wall Street.”
Given the bulk of featured articles within Success magazine’s pages at the time centered around white, heterosexual men the stories obviously spoke to me. Upon reflection, a recent revelation how matched with a dose of youthful and country naivety the appeal was obvious. Instead of hot rods and scantily clad women, the seductive nature of mansions and fancy cars appealed to an introverted adolescent cerebral world view.
We all want to see the best in the world, but society shows us the reality of the world no matter how much we struggle against it. Harsh lessons teach us humanity’s true unwritten, unspoken behavior is more resonant of nature than the normal trope of cult-like personal success propaganda promoting the illusion of equality.
Having read Stephen Covey’s First Things First and 7 Habits I even drew up a swell sounding mission statement including defining roles, etc. It was well worded, sounded nifty then sat somewhere promptly collecting dust.
Across the years my consumption ebbed and flowed with life’s circumstances. The brutal harshness of corruption and office politics by selfish individuals. Returning to the genre sort of like a baby blanket as simplistic means to soothe my aching psyche.
Here are some of the most noticeable changes I have witnessed.
Mission Statements Are Now Manifestos
Failing to execute on their protests or underlying values weighed deeply on many of the sixties generation so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the activist language of that time found it’s a way not only into popular culture but, into the board room.
We no longer have the Corporate Raiders of the 1980s but, activist investors. It gives you the warm fuzzy feeling of altruism unless of course you end up being one of those workers who see their pension and/or benefits reduced as they proceed to loot companies on the behalf of hedge funds or more ruthless pension funds.
Even saying the term Manifesto sounds exhilarating with the large letter printed posters or words painted directly on walls replacing engraved metal or granite plaques.
Heck, even I rebooted my old personal mission statement document into an exciting piece of literary self indulgence. Not only that I no longer have a personal mission statement but, a creed. You live and die by a creed while it’s easy to abandon a mission statement mid-stride — trust me I have.
Values Statements Are Now Moral Compasses
It’s not uncommon for me to enter a local bank branch seeing a hanging engraved metal plaque listing the values statements at the point of entry. In addition to chuckling to myself, it highlights the disconnect of the boardroom and management from their employees and customers. Flying in contrast to the core principles extolled by both Stephen Covey and Jim Collins in Good To Great.
Moral compass whispers of adventure under the guidance of a skillful leader. It evokes childhood imagery calling to the urge for exploring. Who doesn’t like an err of excitement in their life and under the tutelage of a charismatic leader we believe we can accomplish anything. Even overlooking many morally questionable business practices.
Final Thoughts
These are just two of many significant changes I have witnessed and should I meet the actuary tables for life expectancy there will be more changes along with most people failing to grasp or avoiding outright the insignificance of wording without action.
All of us here can most likely write the sweetest sounding, emotion inducing Mission Statement/Manifesto or define a Values Statement/Moral Compass — what really matters is what we do next.
What are you going to do next?
