What is Success? And Who is Successful?
You can refer any book, any literature, you will never find a correct answer or a satisfying answer to these questions.
I like to ask, my fellow HR professionals…being a “Human Being” What does Success Mean to Them?” and
“Do they think that they are Successful in their life in general and in their career in particular?”
Some inputs from me…
“Success and failure” are related to one particular assignment, one particular project and never to a life. Like we discussed about “Love-Hate Equation”; there can be “Success-Failure Equation” in life…let there we more assignments, more projects, more occasions, where you have won…where you have been successful and lesser on the other side.
When we calculate growth…we compare it with some “Base”. Similarly, if you are successful or not; you need to compare it with the point or stage from where you made the beginning. What is achievement for you…might be a beginning for someone else.
People consider the following as factors of success and being successful:
1) Your wealth, your house, assets you have, bank balance
2) Your social circle…you have world’s top most people as your friends. You have your breakfast with Sonia Gandhi, Lunch with Bill Clinton and Dinner with Bill Gates.
3) You are news maker…what happens to you…even if you sneeze…it becomes a Headline in leading newspapers.
4) Rewards and Recognitions…you have been awarded with Bharat Ratna and world’s best awards have been bestowed on you.
5) Power…you have enough of power to take decision on behalf of your community, your state, your country and even decisions that affect the world.
6) Achievements of Family: You are married to the world’s most beautiful woman. Your son in a CEO of the world’s best company and your daughter is country’s best economist.
What do you think? Do you consider this as success and signs of being successful.
I am observing this person for quite some time. He is a young lad of around 23 years of age. One year back he started tea stall near my house. Slowly, he also started to sell Paratha's, then bread Pakora's, and recently Samosa's. Just have a look at these. On any given day, he is selling 300 Paratha's @ Rs 5 Each; 550 cups of tea @ Rs 3 each; 200 Bread Pakora's and same number of Samosa's @ of Rs. 3 Each. If you calculate...he is getting something around 4,350/- (1500 + 1650 + 1200) . Now, if you think that he spend 2,350/- for miscellaneous inventory expenses. Still he is earning a net profit of close to Rs. 60,000 PM. He is taking care of the education of his two sisters and expenses of the family. More than that...he is giving employment to three people. Do you think, he is successful?
Take the example to Vijay Mallya, one of the business tycoon of India. He is earning in Billions. He is friendly with almost all who's who in global market. He is having all the bad habits, a person can have. Drinking, Smoking, Gambling (all type of gamble), according to market buzz he is a womanizer. Do you consider him as a successful person?
Do Share your views.
Regards
Sanjeev Sharma
From India, Mumbai
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100You can refer any book, any literature, you will never find a correct answer or a satisfying answer to these questions.
I like to ask, my fellow HR professionals…being a “Human Being” What does Success Mean to Them?” and
“Do they think that they are Successful in their life in general and in their career in particular?”
Some inputs from me…
“Success and failure” are related to one particular assignment, one particular project and never to a life. Like we discussed about “Love-Hate Equation”; there can be “Success-Failure Equation” in life…let there we more assignments, more projects, more occasions, where you have won…where you have been successful and lesser on the other side.
When we calculate growth…we compare it with some “Base”. Similarly, if you are successful or not; you need to compare it with the point or stage from where you made the beginning. What is achievement for you…might be a beginning for someone else.
People consider the following as factors of success and being successful:
1) Your wealth, your house, assets you have, bank balance
2) Your social circle…you have world’s top most people as your friends. You have your breakfast with Sonia Gandhi, Lunch with Bill Clinton and Dinner with Bill Gates.
3) You are news maker…what happens to you…even if you sneeze…it becomes a Headline in leading newspapers.
4) Rewards and Recognitions…you have been awarded with Bharat Ratna and world’s best awards have been bestowed on you.
5) Power…you have enough of power to take decision on behalf of your community, your state, your country and even decisions that affect the world.
6) Achievements of Family: You are married to the world’s most beautiful woman. Your son in a CEO of the world’s best company and your daughter is country’s best economist.
What do you think? Do you consider this as success and signs of being successful.
I am observing this person for quite some time. He is a young lad of around 23 years of age. One year back he started tea stall near my house. Slowly, he also started to sell Paratha's, then bread Pakora's, and recently Samosa's. Just have a look at these. On any given day, he is selling 300 Paratha's @ Rs 5 Each; 550 cups of tea @ Rs 3 each; 200 Bread Pakora's and same number of Samosa's @ of Rs. 3 Each. If you calculate...he is getting something around 4,350/- (1500 + 1650 + 1200) . Now, if you think that he spend 2,350/- for miscellaneous inventory expenses. Still he is earning a net profit of close to Rs. 60,000 PM. He is taking care of the education of his two sisters and expenses of the family. More than that...he is giving employment to three people. Do you think, he is successful?
Take the example to Vijay Mallya, one of the business tycoon of India. He is earning in Billions. He is friendly with almost all who's who in global market. He is having all the bad habits, a person can have. Drinking, Smoking, Gambling (all type of gamble), according to market buzz he is a womanizer. Do you consider him as a successful person?
Do Share your views.
Regards
Sanjeev Sharma
From India, Mumbai
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Hi Sanjeev,
Your article is good and helps people understand who we are.
My perception is of a vendor who started a small business to support his family. He devised a strategy based on his customers' needs and achieved success by investing his intelligence.
Mr. Malia possesses several bad habits, yet he lives life on his terms, acquiring everything he desires effortlessly. This indicates that he has earned through his unique IDEA, establishing himself as an entrepreneur and a successful individual. We tend to focus on him due to his luxurious lifestyle, which is a result of his successful endeavors.
I believe that success is rooted in strategy.
Thank you for providing this opportunity.
Mohan
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Your article is good and helps people understand who we are.
My perception is of a vendor who started a small business to support his family. He devised a strategy based on his customers' needs and achieved success by investing his intelligence.
Mr. Malia possesses several bad habits, yet he lives life on his terms, acquiring everything he desires effortlessly. This indicates that he has earned through his unique IDEA, establishing himself as an entrepreneur and a successful individual. We tend to focus on him due to his luxurious lifestyle, which is a result of his successful endeavors.
I believe that success is rooted in strategy.
Thank you for providing this opportunity.
Mohan
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Hi Sanjeev,
I don't agree with you. You can't relate success with emotions. Success means when a person feels contented. It is how we perceive it to be. Well, Vijaya Mallya is no doubt a successful person. If he drinks and smokes, it is part of his personality. We cannot correlate this with success. Success means your happiness and your achievement. What do you all say?
Gitanjali
Shimla
From India, Delhi
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I don't agree with you. You can't relate success with emotions. Success means when a person feels contented. It is how we perceive it to be. Well, Vijaya Mallya is no doubt a successful person. If he drinks and smokes, it is part of his personality. We cannot correlate this with success. Success means your happiness and your achievement. What do you all say?
Gitanjali
Shimla
From India, Delhi
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Gitanjali, thanks for the comment.
I never compared two people. I just asked the readers that between Mallya and that vendor, whom do they think is more successful? I asked people what parameters they consider important to be successful.
As someone mentioned, success differs at different stages of life and circumstances. When we were in school, in college, when we started to work, played a game, or got an assignment or project, success is different at different stages. What do you think success is?
As a cricket team captain, for me, success would be to win the match; for a batsman or bowler, it would be to make the maximum runs or take the maximum wickets. Suppose team India is required to score 250 runs to win the match, and suppose Tendulkar scores 100 runs, but India still loses the match— that is not his fault. Right? So, in his perception, he is still successful. What do you say?
Regards, Sanjeev Sharma
From India, Mumbai
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I never compared two people. I just asked the readers that between Mallya and that vendor, whom do they think is more successful? I asked people what parameters they consider important to be successful.
As someone mentioned, success differs at different stages of life and circumstances. When we were in school, in college, when we started to work, played a game, or got an assignment or project, success is different at different stages. What do you think success is?
As a cricket team captain, for me, success would be to win the match; for a batsman or bowler, it would be to make the maximum runs or take the maximum wickets. Suppose team India is required to score 250 runs to win the match, and suppose Tendulkar scores 100 runs, but India still loses the match— that is not his fault. Right? So, in his perception, he is still successful. What do you say?
Regards, Sanjeev Sharma
From India, Mumbai
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
Repco Mines and Minerals: The struggle and dream of an NRI, Mr. Ramana Epparla, is the story of success. In India, doing business is a challenging task with local politics. Mr. Ramana Epparla, being an NRI, has become the most successful and inspiring personality in today's business landscape in India. He faced many obstacles in his business life, but he stood strong and fought only through genuine and legal procedures. Currently, Mr. Ramana Epparla is involved in mining machinery and construction-related machinery (import and export).
From India, Hyderabad
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From India, Hyderabad
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