Leadership Thought #223 – What Goes Up Must Come Down
The Laws of Gravity apply in all aspects of life: what goes up must come down. No one lives at the peak for too long. I’ve always believed that it’s not just what happens when you are on top that matters, but also the grace with which you manage the inevitable changes and decline. Life is about cycles and reinvention. It is not a continuous, upward-sloping straight line.
You can learn a great deal about a person after they have scaled the summit of their professional life. What do they do next? How do they reinvent themselves? Is there another mountain? Do they stick around for the long term, or were they just a “flash in the pan?” Do they cling to power and position or realize when it’s time to move on? Do they try to create and replicate a formula or attempt something new and different? Do they venture beyond their comfort zone or remain within it? Do they help others grow and succeed, or do they resent their accomplishments and criticize their successes? Do they give back or focus on getting more?
Some of the most captivating work done by artists, authors, athletes, musicians, public officials, and business leaders has been done well after their perceived prime. It’s as if once they were unshackled from the constraints of their power and position, they could better reflect on their life experience and be truer to themselves. They can do as they please, rather than meeting others’ expectations and fulfilling their duties. The smart ones live in the present and create their future rather than yearning for their past.
We will all hit our professional peaks at some point, and then we must decide what to do next. The good news is that we can always continue to learn and grow through personal experience. We can also strive to remain a vital presence that makes a positive difference in our own small corner of the world, regardless of our social standing. The other side of the mountain isn’t about decline and descent; it is also about reinvention, creation, generosity of spirit, and self-fulfilment.
Related articles
- What Goes Up Must Come Down (towardsdatascience.com)
- Why Success Is Highly Overrated (dumblittleman.com)
- My Change Story: Reinvention After Failure (newcommbiz.com)
- How to Reinvent Your Career (drdianehamilton.wordpress.com)
- Personal Courage and Growth is a Choice……….. (kakiewrites.wordpress.com)
- Fear vs. Growth (bigthink.com)
- Abraham Maslow’s Unfinished Projects (psychologytoday.com)
