Success

We have quite often come across books and articles such as "10 steps to success" or " Top 10 secrets of a successful Person" etc. Organizational behavior is very vital for the success of an organization as a whole and an individual who is a part of it. An organization is a place where different personalities come together and work towards a common goal. Of course, I am limiting my definitions for the cause of this article. It is very interesting to see the network of people you come across while working. No matter how well-learned you are in the ways of the people, you always come across someone who throws in a different perspective of your knowledge about individuals.

The most important aspect of an individual is his 'perception'. Everyone has it, use it, change it and challenge others with their own. Stereotyping is perception at its worst. It is when individuality is stripped off from influencing your perception about someone. It can have its consequences if you are not too careful about it. But, where do stereotypes emerge from? They emerge from the general observation hypothesized in a sample of people from a certain race, country, ethnicity, gender etc. Stereotyping need not necessarily be bad. For example, Chinese are Intelligent/ geniuses at math. I don't think any Chinese is going to take offense with it. But, what I want to do is challenge the very traits that are highly talked about and admired often.

Let me start with a basic question. Do you like good-looking people or not? Invariably, most of us will answer Yes. Media showcases good-looking people as the best form of 'attraction'. But, let us bring this quality into observation in a more personal environment, like lets say your team members. You are part of a team where you have an extremely good looking male or female who wears the latest trendy clothes and is always lookin their best. What is your first assumption about their working ability? I presume negative. You perceive that a certain good-looking person is good at only that.. looks, and nothing else. After a few weeks you start to cut-down on this perception as you see that person work. But, still.. if at any instance..you see the person slacking from their responsibilities, what do you blame it on? Good looks. The point I am trying to draw here is that Good Looks need not be a good-asset all the time. It can create insecurity, distrust and over-expectations around one which can often prove to work against that person!

Another question: Do you like extroverts or introverts? An extrovert is one who is out-going social and talking and the "life of the party" type. While an introvert is more to himself, less social and almost going 'unnoticed' in a party. At a glance, we all would prefer to be extroverts as it is portrayed to be the "self-confident & interesting" personality that is usually ' liked ' by all. Extroverts are usually the people who have many friends and are constantly in the company of someone. It is what creates the 'popular' group in a given social setup. We all at some point come across a certain popular group in our respective social set ups (office, school, class.. etc). It is definitely an admirable trait, no doubt. But, let us again bring it down to a more personal level. Do you really want to always be around a person who is always talking.. always the center of attention and is constantly over-taking you with their pompous way? Think about it. Every kind of personality speaks for itself. We forget that Introverts have the basic ability of "listening". We all want our perceptions to be heard and listened to. Perhaps being around an Extrovert isnt going to do your personality much good. You have to build your personality and individuality. Who said Introverts do not create a mark on you? They do.. with their non-verbal actions. A look can speak billion words. A statement from such a person is usually highly regarded! Research says " Successful people don't have to be "the life of the party", in fact many are quiet, even shy, but they value people and they value relationships. They listen to friends, neighbors, co-workers and even bartenders."

For now, the conclusion that I have come to is that success is not about popularity, but it is about individuality. It is highly important to retain your individuality. It is the stepping stone for success and will always be. This brings us to a very vital question. Can success be generalized or not? Hmm..