Lead With What You Give, Not With What You Get
A Practical Mindset Shift to Redefine Success–at Work and in Life
Hi Friends,
A few weeks ago, I came across a quote by Peter Drucker that resonated deeply with me:
“Odd as it seems, you will find the greatest results in business and career if you drop the word achievement from your vocabulary. Replace it with contribution.”
— Peter Drucker, as shared by Daniel Pink on Instagram
It’s a powerful provocation that quietly challenges decades of cultural conditioning around success. So I shared it over on LinkedIn, asking a simple question:
What might happen if we stopped chasing achievement—and started honoring contribution as our true measure of success?
I didn’t expect what would happen next.
Unbeknownst to me, a colleague who leads a school shared that question with a group of facilitators.
What came back was nothing short of extraordinary.
A WhatsApp thread lit up with reflections from educators—people who spend their lives shaping others. Their responses carried such clarity, warmth, and wisdom that I found myself reading them with tears in my eyes.
Here's a sampling of what they shared:
"Achievement fades, but the impact of our contributions can ripple far beyond us."
"If we focused on contributing instead of achieving, we’d feel less pressure, work together more, find deeper meaning, and still create great results, only with more joy."
"Contribution can be the fuel that keeps us going. It gives energy, not just validation."
"Without the weight of achieving, our hands might be free enough to pass something forward that outlives us."
"If success were defined by contribution, workplaces would evolve from ladders to climb into networks of support."
I’m sure you’ll agree with me that these insights reflect intensely lived truths.
So, What Might This Look Like in Real Life?
We’ve heard the wisdom. But how do you actually shift from achievement to contribution in your daily life?
Here are a few ways people I work with have made the switch:
A senior leader I worked with was constantly pulled into meetings, solving problems that weren’t hers to solve. Her default was to prove her value by being everywhere. The shift came when she started asking, “Where can I contribute most meaningfully today?” That one question helped her to set boundaries, elevate her focus, and model sustainability for her entire team. The reward was a calm mind, purposeful attention, and a team that also began to direct its focus with intention.
A founder I coached was focused on scaling fast and gaining external validation. The pressure they were putting on themselves and their team was unsustainable. The shift in the team’s motivation came when he started asking a new question: “What real value are we creating?” Instead of chasing metrics for their own sake, he began focusing on the impact of the product. As a result, the team harmonized, and work began to feel more meaningful; what used to feel like a grind started to feel like fun.
Instead of tracking how many tasks she crossed off her list, one leader I know started asking herself each day: “Did I help my team grow today?” That shift changed not only how she worked, but also how her team showed up.
Personally, I’ve learned to end my day with one question: “What did I contribute today?” Some days, the answer is a strategy session or a life-changing question. Other days, it’s simply making someone feel seen—both count.
We’ve Been Measuring the Wrong Thing
In Live Your Opus, I share something I’ve seen over and over: People reach the peak of their careers—and still feel like something’s missing. This has gotten me thinking about many questions:
What if the entire model of success we inherited is too small for the lives we’re meant to lead? (It is!)
What if success is less about what we can accumulate and more about what we can offer? (Yes!)
And more radically: What if contribution doesn’t just create impact, but also restores the vitality and fulfillment we’ve been craving all along? (It does!)
Your Opus Is Not About What You Achieve
Your life—your Opus—isn’t about what you achieve.
It’s about who you are, who you become, and how the world changes because you showed up as the truest version of you.
To “Live Your Opus” is to ask:
What do I want my presence to mean in this world? Not just: What do I want to achieve?
It’s not a rejection of ambition, but a realignment of it. Because here's the secret:
When you lead with contribution, achievement still happens…but now it feels like joy, not pressure. Like alignment, not exhaustion.
A Simple Shift You Can Make Today
If you want to make this shift, start by asking yourself a simple question at the end of the day. In addition to the question I ask myself, I’m sharing below a few others you might want to consider. Choose what feels right for you.
Who did I help today—even in a small way?
Where did I give my energy with intention, not just effort?
Did I leave something better than I found it–an idea, a person, a conversation?
Within a few days, you’ll start to see success through a new lens: one that reflects who you are, not just what you’ve done.
And if you’re leading others, consider exploring these questions together. You never know what group wisdom it might unlock.
Because, as the insights those educators shared with us, sometimes all it takes is a single question to open a door that leads us back to what matters.
You Are Your Greatest Work
And, just in case you need to hear this: You are your greatest work.
I know I say that a lot, but it’s true.
Your resume is not your legacy. And your titles don’t say anything about who you are.
But your contribution does.
So here's to a new kind of success: One that starts with you, and the impact only you can make.
Until next time, be well!
P.S. What’s one way you’re redefining success in your own life? I’d love to hear it.
👇 Drop a comment or hit reply. Let’s start measuring success in a way that actually matters.
And, if you want to go deeper…
My book, Live Your Opus, is for high achievers who want to feel as successful on the inside as they look on the outside—and it will be available soon for pre-order!
It’s filled with practical tools, mindset shifts, and real stories to help you reclaim your energy, redefine success, and create a life that actually fits.
📝 Want early access, bonuses, and behind-the-scenes insights?