Success Advice
Take the Time to Answer These 3 Questions if You Want to Be Successful

If you’d like to learn how to succeed in the areas of your life most important to you so you can live your best life, sign up for the free 90-Day Master Class hosted by the founder of Addicted2Success.com, Joel Brown.
I’ve personally never met someone who hasn’t had or doesn’t currently have success on their mind. I do believe we all have unique and different views on what success means to us, but nonetheless success is something that we strive for. The definition of success; based on my google search of the word, is “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.”
I think back to those first instances that I was asked in elementary school about what I wanted to be when I grew up. My answer was clear, become a professional athlete. And for the remainder of my child, adolescent and young adult life, I pursued that with an unrelenting desire. However, as I reflect on those moments now in my adult and professional life, what I find to be resounding is how the question of success stopped there.
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” – John D. Rockefeller
With that being said, I believe that success can be broken down into three questions that you should be able to definitively answer as you embark on your journey of professional and personal success:
1. What’s Your Big Goal?
Defining that “one” thing you want to achieve whether it be financial freedom, time freedom, starting your own business, or earning a certain dollar figure in your career is an important first step to take. By doing so, you narrow your vision to a more myopic mentality that helps keep you focused on the tasks at hand.
2. What’s Your Non-Negotiables?
This is perhaps the most important question you have to answer with unequivocal certainty. What are the things you will not waiver from on your journey to obtaining success or your big goal?
For example, my non-negotiables are No Negativity Allowed; a concept I borrowed from Grant Cardone, read one new book every month, and Sundays are spent with family and not with business. I committed to these non-negotiables and make them very clear every morning by writing them down first thing in the morning in my planner.
“If you are not willing to risk the usual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn
3. What Are You Willing To Sacrifice?
If you are really going for your big goal/goals then you will have to sacrifice something. That sacrifice could be time with friends, television, eating out, or having that refreshing pint of beer in the middle of the week. Whatever it is, you have to know what you are willing to give up for the success that you want to achieve. Identify these things and then just like everything else, write them down daily as a constant reminder of just how important achieving success is to you.
Success is not easy. I believe it’s something I’m always going after as I continue to grow professionally and personally in my life. However, one of the most important things I could have done for myself to truly understand what success was for me and get the clear picture of what I have to do in order to achieve it was to answer the three questions discussed above. By answering them, making them a consistent part of my daily routine, and writing them down every single day keeps me grounded, myopic, and focused on what I’m working towards.
What do you think of the three questions discussed in this article? Share your thoughts with us below!
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Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)
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Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)
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The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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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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