Success in Three Pillars
How to build Impact, Value, and Connection
I kicked off my fifth semester teaching at the University of Texas this week. Time flies, two years of teaching have somehow flew by. There’s nothing like the energy of week one, when students still think 8 AM classes were a good idea. For both students and teachers, it's a clean slate.
I like to use this time to talk about success. It's a word that means something different to everyone. In class, I ask my students what success means to them. Most answers involve some achievement, financial, academic, or ticking off a primary goal. Graduating seems to be on a lot of their minds. Then, I share my definition, which I break into three pillars that work together to create a foundation for lasting success:
Create impactful change
Provide long-term value
Maintain meaningful relationships
Create Impactful Change: From Ideas to Action
"Impactful" can be a buzzword, so let's get specific. Are we talking about the number of people you impact? The intensity of the change? Or just how much it matters to you? Here's how I define it: impactful change means solving meaningful problems in a community, organization, or industry.
You don't have to invent the next iPhone or cure cancer to be successful (but hey, if you can, go for it). Impact happens on many scales. Take Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes. During a trip to Argentina, he noticed children without shoes couldn't attend school and were at risk for disease. Instead of just donating shoes once, he created a sustainable solution: TOMS would give a pair to a child in need for every pair of shoes sold. This "One for One" model has since provided over 100 million pairs of shoes to children and inspired countless other companies to adopt similar social impact models.
Creating impact starts with three key elements:
Initiative: You need to actually do something. Thinking is great; doing is better. Start small, even a minor improvement can spark bigger changes.
Credibility: Jensen Huang, founder of NVIDIA, once said, "Lose money, and I'll understand. Hurt our reputation, and I'll be ruthless." Credibility can take decades to build and one action to lose. Credibility comes from being dependable, doing what you say when you say you'll do it.
Resources: You don't need a yacht-sized budget (although that wouldn’t hurt). Remember FHIST: Financial capital, Human capital, Intellectual capital, Social capital, and Time. Time is the only resource you'll never get back
Provide Long-Term Value: Building Something That Lasts
"The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit." - Nelson Henderson
Creating long-term value means building something that benefits others long after you've moved on. Think of it as planting seeds that grow into forests.
Here's how to create lasting value in any role:
In Organizations:
Document your processes and create training materials
Build systems that can run without you
Mentor others and create knowledge-sharing networks
Create knowledge repositories like the one I created for myself
In Communities:
Start initiatives that can be easily maintained and replicated.
Build relationships between different groups
Volunteer or create community events
Coordinate community programs and support networks
A perfect example of creating lasting value comes from a team at Tiny Speck. While developing a multiplayer video game, they built their internal chat tool to help their team communicate and share files more effectively. When the game ultimately failed, the team recognized that their internal communication tool was something special. That side project became Slack, a platform that revolutionized workplace communication and grew into a tool millions of people use worldwide.
Maintain Meaningful Relationships: The Heart of Success
The most successful people I know aren't just accomplished, they're connected. Connection and relationships are the backbone of the human condition and require intentional effort.
Here's your relationship-building toolkit:
Daily Practices:
Schedule regular check-ins with important people in your life
Practice active listening, put away the phone, maintain eye contact
Share your own struggles and victories (vulnerability builds trust)
Relationship Boosters:
Create shared experiences (even virtually)
Celebrate others' successes, no matter how small
Be the first to reach out, don't wait for "the right time"
This week, I reconnected with two college friends I hadn't spoken to in years. It felt a little awkward due to the mutual guilt, but within minutes, we were laughing like no time had passed. Those kinds of relationships, 5-10 deeply meaningful ones, are worth prioritizing.
The best part is that meaningful relationships don't just cost time; they give time. They ground you, make you more effective, and remind you why you're chasing success in the first place.
The Bigger Picture: Integrating the Pillars
These three pillars support each other in powerful ways:
Strong relationships help you create a bigger impact
Meaningful impact builds your credibility for creating long-term value
Long-term value strengthens and expands your relationships
These pillars will look different in each phase of your life. In your 20s, it might mean hustling to make your mark. In your 40s, it could mean balancing impact with family and legacy. But no matter where you are, growth, mentally, physically, and spiritually, is key to achieving success more effectively.
Your Turn: Reflect and Share
I'd love to hear your thoughts on these pillars of success:
Which pillar resonates most strongly with you right now?
What's one small step you could take today to strengthen each pillar?
How do you balance these different aspects of success in your own life?
As I wrote in my article "The Art of Feedback," constructive criticism is one of the best tools for growth. So, whether your feedback is glowing or brutally honest, bring it on, I'm here for it. Let's learn and grow together.
