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ArticlesINSIDE BUSINESS SUCCESSby Ian Hutchinson
Don’t you love those stories of the humble Internet start ups which spring from the wild dreams of a couple of ex-uni buddies, only to be discovered by a big American venture capitalist and then suddenly find themselves catapulted to the stratosphere as the next hot IPO on the Nasdaq. Before long these guys, who previously probably couldn’t even pay their credit card minimum payments each month, are paper millionaires. I will never forget reading about a 27 year old guy, just a few years out of uni, who happened to join the right Internet business at the right time, played himself into a key role and ended up scoring share options to the value of $65 million when the company subsequently floated. At 27! Skyrocket wealth like this is the stuff of dreams itself in today’s fast moving business world. Is it just me, or is everyone in business is chasing the lure of fast money and big profits. But, don’t you ever wonder if these guys are really happy ? I do. Most nights, in fact! I lose sleep over it. Not that I’m envious. Well, err, OK, just a little. But, it’s always fascinated me about the big question of the universe – does money, ridiculous money, make you happy ? So what difference would a couple of BM’s in garage of the waterfront mansion make in my life ? Hey, you have to be prepared, don’t you ! My guess has always been that greed is good and money can cure all ills in life. But, I still have some lingering doubts. Well, here’s the good news if you’re fretting and feeling like you’ve been left behind in chasing the elusive bag of gold while the Internet hot shots have all the fun. It seems Australian executives are facing what can only be described as a "happiness crisis." More than ever before, successful business executives are questioning their concept of success. In traditional terms, success has always meant status in business – just look at the image conscious business elite of today – we are what we drive and where we live. But the price of that status chasing is becoming increasingly obvious. Defining success has always been a problem for business as we have such a strong and rigid business culture. Freedom to explore what success means to us – beyond simple monetary terms - as individuals has had little opportunity to take root. When financially independent Daniel Petre left Microsoft to write a book on father time and re-discover his children, his circle of business colleagues thought him to be loopy. But research by social analysts has identified the winds of change. Researchers interviewed several Lotto winners years after and found that these people weren’t happy with their lives. Similarly, business executives, pressured more than ever before, are saying "enough is enough". Money is great but if your life is destroyed, it’s not worth it. Business is starting to wake up to the price that we have paid for our so-called success: strained families and relationships, fading health and longer hours has forced a serious rethink. It seems that finally we are allowed to think about success in broader terms than simply keeping up with Jones’ on the highway. It might mean bad news for German car makers, but success is about to become something very different. We will continue to pursue our dreams in the hope that we can make it big time one day, but lifestyle is becoming the real success measure in business. It seems money, on its own, is not enough and we are not prepared to trade off our quality of lifestyle. A key part of being successful is being prepared to manage your lifestyle. Get your lifestyle right and you can be in control and not your business or your shareholders. A successful lifestyle can mean more than simply getting onto the golf course every Friday or more time for the kids. It’s about balance and diversity for many people. Here’s some of the areas you could consider as a check list of looking at what you want from life:
Ian Hutchinson (G.Dip.Psy, B.Bus, APS), Founder of Life by Design®, has built a reputation as Australia's leading lifestyle strategist. He has studied overseas with some of the world's leaders in lifestyle planning, and his lifestyle strategy work has been profiled throughout the media. His entertaining presentations are in demand throughout the world including Europe and the Middle East. Life by Design® can be contacted by phone on (02) 9979 4949, or visit www.lifebydesign.com.au. For permission to reproduce this article in whole or in part, |
