On a personal and professional level, you will never be successful if you don’t stand for something bigger than yourself or your company.
What do you stand for? What are you willing to fight for? What are you doing to make the world a better place? All of is need a personal mission that helps instruct us on the job, with family and in society. If you don’t really stand for anything, why would anyone ever follow you, mentor you, or try to help you?
I stand for compassion. At work, in family life and now in our relationship with communities and the environment. Compassion. When I see it, I reward it. When I see a lack of it, I rail against it and do whatever I can to affect change. I grade myself, and everything I commit to, against my desire to promote compassion.
Compassion is just one example of standing for something. You can stand for: Quality, Equality, Justice, the USA, talent cultivation, love, etc. etc. But stand for something.
If you have a business, and all is stands for making money for the owners, why would anyone want to buy from you or work for you during the social century (21st)??? Just-for-profit companies will have weak brands and low quality talent, because they don’t offer social quality or a social compensation plan.
It’s never too late to stand for something. I didn’t consciously make my choice until my mid-30s. That probably explains why life was so tough up until then.
Post in comments what you (or your company) stand for, and how your actions and priorities demonstrate this.