Leadership Thought #366 – Celebrate Your Peers
It’s good to acknowledge your peers.
Tonight, I will be participating in an annual event that recognizes high-performing entrepreneurs in my county. It is a privilege to be a part of this process and have the opportunity to acknowledge the accomplishments of many talented individuals. I know some of the business leaders well, but not all of them. The common bond that connects all of them for me is their willingness to bet on themselves, take considerable personal and professional risks, and persevere through the most difficult recession in 70 years. They didn’t survive these past few years. They managed to keep a success mindset and keep pushing forward.
It’s important to celebrate the successes of your peers and build a sense of community among like-minded people who share a common experience. Being an entrepreneur is incredibly challenging work. Depending on how you interpret the numbers, only about 5-10% of the population ever decides to become self-employed. Even rarer are the individual leaders who manage to hire people and build a company. Success is much more difficult than survival, and if you want to look at businesses that grow their top and bottom lines year over year, especially after the first 5 years, the number is closer to 1% of the population. The last time I looked at the data, more than 600,000 businesses declared bankruptcy yearly. In addition, very few companies ever exceed the $1M mark. So, when you identify someone who has defied the odds and grown a successful business, it warrants your attention and respect.
There is a dark side to our competitive nature as individuals that often has us begrudge the success of others. I’m not sure why this is, and there are many possible psychological explanations. What I do know is that individual success is good for a community. In business, this means more people get hired, employees have a steady and stable income, more vendors get paid, tax revenues go up, charitable giving increases, and more discretionary dollars are spent on other things. The good news about entrepreneurs is that most of the fruits of their success usually stay in their local community. We should root for as many people to be successful as possible. My guess is that your community is full of talented peers.
Life isn’t a zero-sum game. Even if the other person is your competitor, they push you to innovate and perform at a higher level. Just look at gas stations. Somehow, they manage to coexist, often operating in the same intersections and targeting the same customers. Success that isn’t properly earned is usually built on a shaky foundation. When it comes to business, I often believe the more, the merrier. Healthy, thriving communities have healthy, thriving businesses. I wish more politicians and civil servants would make this connection.
I was raised to look for good in people, not the bad. My parents genuinely appreciated the talents of others in many different walks of life. I also believe that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” I urge you to notice and praise those in your community who do good. Spend equal, if not more, time identifying what’s right with the world rather than what’s broken. Celebrate your peers!
Related articles
- How to Recognize and Celebrate Success at Work (impraise.com)
- 12 Smart Strategies for Celebrating Your Team’s Wins Together (forbes.com)
- How to Celebrate Success at Work: A Guide for Managers (leapsome.com)
- 22 Ways to Celebrate Wins at Work (indeed.com)
- Celebrate Your Successes! (capacity-building.com)
