Success, Achievement, and Significance
In the movie The Emperor’s Club, Kevin Kline plays a Western Civilization teacher. Above his classroom door is a quote:
I am Shutruk Nahunte, King of Ashand and Susa, Sovereign of the Land of Elam. By the Command of Inshushinak, I destroyed Sippar, took the Stele of Nirah-Sin, and brought it back to Elam, where I erected it as an offering to my God, Inshushinak.
– Shutruk Nahunte, 1158 B.C.
In one scene, the teacher asks the class,
Is anyone familiar with this fellow? Texts are permissible, but you won’t find him there. Shutruk Nahunte. King. Sovereign of Elam. Destroyer of Sippar. But behold his accomplishments cannot be found in any history book. Why?—Because great ambition and conquest without contribution are without significance.
There’s something right about that last line: “Great ambition and conquest without contribution are without significance.” We all want to matter. We all want to be significant. Although it seems strange, pursuing success can actually get in the way of significance.
How we define success determines how we pursue it. Many people achieve what they once thought was success, but are left feeling defeated and unfulfilled. The finish line looks different after they’ve arrived.
Some of us operate with multiple competing ideas of what success really is, making it difficult to tell whether we’ve prioritized the right things or whether we’ve achieved success. Oftentimes we view success like a dog chasing a car; we don’t really think through what happens if we catch it.
Today I want to give you an opportunity for you to think about success, achievement, and significance, perhaps in new ways that will help you sort through what really matters in life. To say it bluntly, I’m not trying to talk you out of life in the fast lane; I’m trying to make sure you’re on the right road.
Your contribution is not the same thing as your success. Listen to this John Maxwell quote, “Success is when I add value to myself. Significance is when I add value to others.” Adding value to others is your contribution. That is what leads to significance.
Contribution is not limited to the workplace. It involves your whole life: the relationships you build, the people you help, the conversations you start, the problems you solve, the beauty you create.
What I’ve come to believe is that success without contribution is success without significance. In fact, maybe it isn’t even success at all.