3 Fatal Flaws to Success

Author: Sylvia Lafair
Published: August 04, 2010 at 6:56 pm
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There is so much glitz and glamour that comes with that power word “success.” It says you’ve made it and from here on life is good. Right? Not so fast. The biggest distraction to success is all the stress and anxiety that sits like a weight in the pit of the stomach. It has to do with the worry that it will all disappear someday.

You know the saying “the higher they go the harder they fall?" It’s a warning to watch out, be careful, you never know when the party is over. How about, “Don’t rock the boat?” That tells you to play it safe and not take too many chances, especially once you have the houses, the cars, the perks. So many films show the fall from grace, from success to the gutter. Why is this amorphous thing that we all covet, called success so tenuous to grab and to hold?

Partly because once success hits there is a tendency to hide the fear by acting over-confident. You get used to being bowed to, applauded, and respected by folks who only know you by reputation. They never see your uncertainties, hesitations, and inadequacies.

Here are the 3 Fatal Flaws that never get talked about:

Entitlement: Paradoxically many people do not feel entitled to success. Stupid idea? Perhaps. However there is a sense that many successful people have, the “if they really knew me syndrome.” That thought of being in a masquerade, being seen as more than one really is, waiting to be “caught with pants down” often is a fatal flaw that sets up the fall down the slippery slope to failure. You see so many times we have these self-fulfilling thoughts and deep in us we would rather be right than happy! Doesn’t make logical sense, yet in the emotional parts of the brain it is exactly correct.

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Article Author: Sylvia Lafair

Sylvia Lafair, PhD, is a business leadership expert and President of CEO – Creative Energy Options, Inc., a global consulting company focused on redefining leadership and optimizing workplace relationships. Dr. …

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