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7 of the Biggest Enemies Stopping You From Success

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Everyone wants to be successful. It is a thing we all wish for. We want to achieve mind-blowing success. However, the road to success is not so easy. And the funniest part is, you are the one to determine whether you become successful or not.

You have the keys to success in your hand. Truthfully, if the key to your success is in your hand, why are you not successful yet? Well, it is because you are the biggest enemy to your success, shocked?

You are in control of whatever happens to you. However, inside you, 7 elements stop you from becoming successful.

Here are the 7 elements that are stopping you from becoming successful 

1. Complacency

Complacency is a state of smugness. The feeling of a very powerful self-satisfaction. Yes! There are times where you have put in all your effort to do one thing or the other.  With such great efforts you have put into your work, it is normal for you to feel magnified, praise yourself, and be satisfied with what you have done. 

Complacency comes in when you are over satisfied with what you have done. Sincerely, you have put so much work and effort into what you do, you won’t feel good if someone condemns all of your hard work and efforts. 

This is where most people make mistakes. Instead of listening to the faults, we tend to ignore what people say. Why? Because you are amazed at the work you have done all by yourself. You feel so satisfied that you don’t want to change it or listen to advice.

And, do you know what complacency brings? Complacency brings in pride, laziness, stagnancy, overconfidence, and procrastination. If you are wrong, admit that you are, ask people for advice and always be ready to learn.

Have a growth mindset, instead of a fixed one.

2. Low Self-esteem

How do you perceive yourself? Do you feel you are worthless? Well, low self-esteem is one of the biggest enemies of your success. However, you wield the power of self-esteem and that’s why you are the controller of your success. 

Low self-esteem holds a very strong power which is “underestimation”, you keep underestimating yourself which will make you lose your self-worth. What do you think happens when you lose your self-worth? One, you lose your confidence, two, self-respect, and lastly, you tap into the world of negativity.

Love yourself first! Why are you underestimating your great self? So many people have unbelievable potentials but they are just there underestimating themselves, destroying their self-confidence, while time is flying. 

Always love God and love yourself. If you love God, loving yourself will even be easier. Because the love of God brings indescribable joy and delight. This is from the perspective of a child of God.

You are a great person, know that! Nothing can shake you. One secret is this: if you don’t condemn yourself, no one on earth can condemn you. So, never condemn yourself. Never limit your potentials by yourself. You are limitless and ever-going.

3. Pride (Ego)

Pride has left billions of people in the world with bitter regrets. If you can not subject yourself to others, you may not be able to go far in life. Even if you succeed by chance, the end will still be filled with massive regrets.

Be humble, pride is one of the worst enemies of your success. Some people have a mindset that they can’t learn from someone younger than them even if they are in the same place of work or, even if they do the same thing.

Many people feel they are too big to ask for help. They feel they are too big to learn. If you don’t know a thing, ask people that know about it. Don’t feel too big to ask and always be ready to face and accommodate disrespect. 

Go and learn from the ultra-successful men and women in the world and see how much disrespect they have faced. But, look at where they are now. 

You need skills to succeed, which simply means you have to learn to have skills, and to learn new skills you need to put in a lot of service and work. But, how do you serve? You serve with respect and ultimate subjection.

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton

4. Laziness

We all have our comfort zone. Most times, people become too satisfied with their comfort zone and that’s why it has become super-hard for them to get out of that place of comfort.

Your comfort zone could be in movies, your fave celeb, social media, games, friends, doing nothing, etc. What is your comfort zone or where is your comfort zone? Until you make Godliness, hard work, commitment, smart thinking, and persistence your comfort zone, success will be unachievable for you.

One creepy factor that lightens up our laziness is pleasure. The feeling of satisfying what our flesh wants. Though it may look like you are satisfying yourself, deep down, you are wasting your time. What do you waste your time on?

Is it social media? Gaming? Watching movies? Instead of wasting your time satisfying yourself, you should maximize your time doing things that will elevate your future.

5. Procrastination 

Procrastination is what has made many lose a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is also one of the biggest enemies to your success. However, don’t forget that you wield the power of procrastination by yourself. 

Procrastination and laziness are like twins, they go hand-in-hand together always. When you stay too attached to your comfort zone, procrastination kicks in, making you do nothing but waste time.

The powerful effect of procrastination is its ability to help you prolong things you could achieve. If you were to complete an assignment in the next 4 hours, procrastinating can make it 10 hours long.

This means you have spent 6 good hours being lazy. Know one thing which is, procrastination promotes laziness.

6. Fear and lack of self-confidence

These two are also like twins! Without fear, how can you lack self-confidence? Well, fear is what makes us lack self-confidence. The fear of speaking for yourself, showing your talents, and fear of failing.

This is also one of your greatest enemies. Fear has made a lot of people lose their dreams. And don’t forget that lack of self-confidence can not and never exist without the fear element.

Build your confidence strong and let fear disappear. Want to have confidence overnight? Then have confidence in God. If you have great confidence in God, nothing will be able to shake you.

7. Negative Society

A bad environment and bad people are what we call a negative society. Sometimes we don’t even dream of achieving success because of the kind of people we mingle with and the society we are in.

Who do you mingle with? Who are your best friends? If your answer to this question is negative, then you should know you are in a negative society. 

The Thrives is a personal development blog that has a lot of life-changing resources to help you live your best life and become a better person. Learn more about Godliness, Self-esteem, Happiness, Success, Motivation and Inspiration, Productivity, etc. We believe God is the Greatest and Biggest.

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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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