You don't have to be the CEO to be successful.
When I was in my twenties, the one thing that defined success for me was seniority. I thought that if you got to manager, senior manager, or director, life would be perfect.
So I channelled so much energy into trying to climb the ladder, even when it didn't really fit who I was. I would try really, really hard to say yes to everything. I was known as having a "no-problem" attitude, which is another way of saying I couldn't say no. And I overworked to try to deliver everything.
And honestly, that focus on always getting promoted often left me feeling a bit lonely and very burned out. Most of the time, the burnout was self-imposed. I wasn't working in teams where 60-70 hour working weeks were the norm.
In fact, most of the time, it's because, regardless of what was going on in the team or the wider organisation, I was pushing myself. I was doing too much. And that's because I defined success in the completely wrong way for me.
That's not to say that being a CEO or having CEO goals is wrong. I know many people who have climbed the ladder, and they have enjoyed every step of the way.
However, for an organisation to thrive, we need people in every kind of role at every level.
With that in mind, I want you to consider how you are measuring success. Are you measuring it based on some idea that you captured a long time ago? Perhaps something that you picked up from a role model you looked up to in the workplace, like I did. Or are you defining it based on the life that you are currently living?
Imagine if you were moved to a similar job in a similar company in a similar industry and had the opportunity to make a fresh start in how you approach your day, the people you work with, and the type of work you do.
How would you define success? What changes would you make?
When I realised I didn't need to be the CEO to be successful, I started spending more time doing what I really enjoy, and that's helping other people create a better workday. And that completely changed the direction of my career.
So, what small change could you make? All you need is one shift to direct you towards the definition of success that you really want to achieve.