{"id":134116,"date":"2024-10-18T13:10:08","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T17:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=134116"},"modified":"2024-10-25T13:12:16","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T17:12:16","slug":"how-to-handle-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-handle-success\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Handle Success With Grace & Good Sense (Scott Belsky)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What does it take to maintain humility when your startup succeeds? How can you avoid self-sabotage right before crossing the finish line?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing how to handle success is just as crucial as knowing how to build a business. Scott Belsky’s The Messy Middle<\/em> provides insights on maintaining poise and good judgment<\/a> when your venture approaches its final stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to discover practical strategies for managing success, staying humble, and preparing for your next chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Handle Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As difficult as the meandering journey of growing your startup can be, achieving success at the end of that road presents an entirely new set of difficulties. As you near your original goal, you\u2019ll have to work not to jump to the finish too soon, be mindful of your own mental state, and conclude your project with humility and poise. In The Messy Middle<\/em>, Belsky offers advice on how to handle success with grace and good sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belsky says the first thing to do when rushing toward a project’s end is <\/strong>slow down<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong> Perhaps you\u2019re about to bring a product to market, or maybe a large corporation has offered to buy your startup for a healthy sum. It\u2019s here that Belsky stresses the importance of seeking guidance. Even experienced leaders can feel like novices when navigating the complexities of finishing a venture, and the skills that served you well in the beginning may no longer apply in this phase. Therefore, enlist a few trusted advisers, break down decisions into simple questions, and try hard not to rush through making important choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: The changes that hit you at the end of a project go beyond the technical complexities Belsky describes\u2014there are many emotional hurdles as well. In Life Is in the Transitions<\/em><\/a>, Bruce Feiler writes that you\u2019ll see yourself as a different person<\/a> than before this major change in your life, as you integrate the experience into your life story. In addition to coping with the complicated feelings or bringing a major part of your life to a close, you\u2019ll also have to decide on your next steps. In the wake of change, you\u2019ll have to let your old habits and priorities die and replace them with new ones<\/a> that align with your current reality.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You must also watch out for psychological hurdles that can arise as a project nears completion.<\/strong> Some entrepreneurs may unintentionally sabotage the success of their business if they don’t feel worthy of it. Others give in to ego, which is also detrimental if you start ignoring feedback or anger the members of your team. Belsky writes that you should strive to stay humble as you achieve success, reminding yourself of the role your team played in getting you there, as well as remembering any lucky breaks you had along the way. However, don\u2019t forget to affirm the hard work you and your team put in over the years. The road to success is a hard one, and everyone involved deserves the rewards, including yourself as the founder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Credit Where Credit\u2019s Due<\/strong>

It may seem counterintuitive that anyone would act counter to their own success right at the end of their journey, but Belsky insists that it happens, and in The Now Habit<\/em><\/a>, Neil A. Fiore explains why. People fear success<\/a> because they\u2019re afraid they\u2019ll alienate their friends and colleagues, they worry about the major life changes success can bring, and they fear that success will raise others\u2019 expectations to the point they can\u2019t be met. They may even fear that success will change them in the way Belsky describes\u2014into an egocentric person not worthy of the pride of accomplishment.

You can proactively counter the latter outcome and maintain the sense of humility Belsky praises by adopting a habit of recognizing others\u2019 importance. In The Magic of Thinking Big<\/em><\/a>, David J. Schwartz lists this as one of the key mindsets that let you lead people effectively. If you acknowledge other people\u2019s importance<\/a>\u2014and go out of your way to make them feel <\/em>important\u2014they\u2019ll work harder for you, cooperate more, and offer more help as you near the finish line. Show sincere appreciation and recognize that accomplishments are the result of team effort. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The End, for Better or Worse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most of all, Belsky says, if your project\u2019s truly over, whether you\u2019ve succeeded or failed, it\u2019s important to go out on a graceful note.<\/strong> If you didn\u2019t succeed as planned, decide how you can learn from the experience. If you feel lost about what to do next, remind yourself that your identity isn\u2019t defined by your work\u2014a mindset that\u2019s crucial for personal well-being regardless of how much success you enjoy. And if your dreams of success do come true, recognize that your journey isn\u2019t over. A satisfying end to an entrepreneurial venture involves being content with your accomplishments while also being ready to embrace new challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bounce Back From Failure<\/strong>

Success in entrepreneurship is far from guaranteed, no matter how hard you work or follow Belsky\u2019s principles. However, before you even begin, consider whether how you define success might be setting you up for failure. In Anatomy of a Breakthrough<\/em><\/a>, Adam Alter states that many of our concepts of success are too extreme, such as becoming a millionaire or winning major awards. Setting more realistic expectations<\/a> means success will be hard but achievable.

However, what characterizes even those people we perceive as great successes is how they build upon failure and adjust their courses of action<\/a>. Alter explains that failure makes you re-examine your approach and try new strategies to reach your goals<\/a>. If you never fail and question yourself, then you don\u2019t push yourself<\/a>, and you become blind to opportunities that can only be found by straying from the easy path. If you fail too often, then maybe your goals really are too ambitious\u2014but if you don\u2019t fail at all, you\u2019re not stretching to meet your potential. Therefore, don\u2019t beat yourself up<\/a> when you fail. Simply look at what happened, figure out what it can teach you, and jump back into the drawn-out process that Belsky lays out for success.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Exercise<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Think about a time when one of your projects ended. How did you transition to the next stage of your life or your career?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Think about your current project. How do you imagine you\u2019ll react once it ends?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What does it take to maintain humility when your startup succeeds? How can you avoid self-sabotage right before crossing the finish line? Knowing how to handle success is just as crucial as knowing how to build a business. Scott Belsky’s The Messy Middle provides insights on maintaining poise and good judgment when your venture approaches its final stages. Keep reading to discover practical strategies for managing success, staying humble, and preparing for your next chapter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":134131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,79,43],"tags":[1643],"class_list":["post-134116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-entrepreneurship","category-self-improvement","tag-the-messy-middle","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Handle Success With Grace & Good Sense (Scott Belsky) - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Knowing how to handle success is as crucial as knowing how to build a business. 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