Leadership in Balance Is Leadership at Its Best

Success can be superficial, but not when it's in balance. Balanced success includes not only one's financial self but the spiritual self as well. Balanced leaders live a multifaceted, enriched life full of personal satisfaction. They know their real self and never abandon the core values which impact their decisions and judgments. 

Everyone has what I call an "essential self," the real us that lives in our heart. If we are true to our essential self, we balance the needs of spouse, family, money, and profession. The needs of the day don't sweep us away. Our perspective is long-term, not whimsical. We do things for the right reasons. 

Balance provides the strength to endure painful times, whether personal or professional. It gives us an ethical vantage point from which to watch the effects of a particular course of action. Balanced leaders are harmoniously focused on what is permanent, differentiating it from what is just passing by. The balanced leader's essential self acts as a personal center of gravity that withstands the turbulence entrepreneurial leaders face. It coordinates what we believe with how we behave and constantly works to reconcile the difference between the two. 

Our world is a winding, sometimes dangerous road with many unplanned potholes, corners, and intersections. If we are to complete our journey content that we have served well, we need to live a balanced life. To have all the money in the world and lose your family is not success. To know all the powerful people in the world and not have friends is not success; and to be known by everyone and loved by no one is not success. Our essential self knows when it's betrayed by appearances and the false gods of power and possessions. 

Clinging to a balanced essential self provides two lifetime guarantees: That success will be defined by the right perspective and over the long-term. Balanced success is dependent on a rigid set of beliefs which call for constant attention as we move through the alternatives of personal and professional life. 

A 67-year-old executive was dying of cancer. He lived a good life, became a multimillionaire and raised four kids in a happy home. Asked by a friend how he would live life differently if given another chance, he replied, “I would have spent my money sooner." That is an insightful response for those who have yet to understand we can't take it with us. 

A familiar television ad asks "How do you spell relief?" Observers of achieving leaders ask "How do you spell success?" One way to spell it is B-A-L-A-N-C-E.