Stuedent
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
By Stella Kamanga-Magalasi
Bachelor of Science – Management and Entrepreneurship
3rd Year Student – Malawi College of Accountancy
Introduction
As human beings we roam this earth trying to make sense of our lives in the environment that we live in. We have to contend with societal norms, rules and regulations, what is wrong and what is right within the specific confines of the applicable laws of the land. Fitting in and being accepted is not easy because everyone is trying to be above the other, directly or indirectly creating such a hostile environment of competition hence the saying ‘survival of the fittest’. There is so much that has been written on the topic of success. Success is envied and there is great aspiration by both individuals and organisations to achieve it. It is therefore no wonder that so much attention has been paid to it. Does the fact that success is synonymous with power make it even more precious to be sought for? How is success achieved and sustained, and what lessons can be learned from those who have ‘been there and done that.’ The word ‘success’ when uttered is perceived in so many various ways as it means differently from person to person and from organisation to organisation. To some the word success brings joy, to others it brings fear and for some it is taboo when associated with accumulation of wealth since money is viewed as the root of evil. However, Edwards (2007) stipulates that “money itself is just information moving about in a system…and it is needed in order to acquire the things we need to live normal, healthy lives.” Then, there are those who do not even give success a second thought at all. Abraham Maslow, in his model of Hierarchy of Needs indicates that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs and therefore strive to achieve them. What is the secret to success and is there a formula that fits all? This paper is an addition to the statistics on the volumes of papers, articles and
By Stella Kamanga-Magalasi
Bachelor of Science – Management and Entrepreneurship
3rd Year Student – Malawi College of Accountancy
Introduction
As human beings we roam this earth trying to make sense of our lives in the environment that we live in. We have to contend with societal norms, rules and regulations, what is wrong and what is right within the specific confines of the applicable laws of the land. Fitting in and being accepted is not easy because everyone is trying to be above the other, directly or indirectly creating such a hostile environment of competition hence the saying ‘survival of the fittest’. There is so much that has been written on the topic of success. Success is envied and there is great aspiration by both individuals and organisations to achieve it. It is therefore no wonder that so much attention has been paid to it. Does the fact that success is synonymous with power make it even more precious to be sought for? How is success achieved and sustained, and what lessons can be learned from those who have ‘been there and done that.’ The word ‘success’ when uttered is perceived in so many various ways as it means differently from person to person and from organisation to organisation. To some the word success brings joy, to others it brings fear and for some it is taboo when associated with accumulation of wealth since money is viewed as the root of evil. However, Edwards (2007) stipulates that “money itself is just information moving about in a system…and it is needed in order to acquire the things we need to live normal, healthy lives.” Then, there are those who do not even give success a second thought at all. Abraham Maslow, in his model of Hierarchy of Needs indicates that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs and therefore strive to achieve them. What is the secret to success and is there a formula that fits all? This paper is an addition to the statistics on the volumes of papers, articles and
References: 1. Bennett B. –Year to Success (2006) 2. Hill N. - Think and Grow Rich 3. Johnson S. – Who Moved My Cheese 4. White Dove Books – Developing the Success Mindset (2008) 5. Tanin M. – Your Road Straight to Success (Free E-Books, Canada) 6. Gray S. – Your Success Strategies (2007) 7. Edwards W. – Napoleon Hill’s Awesome Secret!, White Dove Books (2007) 8. Sharma R. – Little Black Book for Stunning Success (2011)