Redefining Success: The Undervalued Pursuit of Freedom in Leadership and Life

“Life without Liberty is like a Body without a Spirit” - Khalil Gibran

Redefining Success: Is Freedom the Missing Puzzle Piece?

What does success mean to you? Is it about amassing wealth? Climbing up the corporate ladder?

Or perhaps, it's about something deeper. Something often overlooked.

In this article, let’s talk about freedom. A powerful concept, yet freedom is so under-appreciated in our definitions of success.

Why is the notion of freedom so under-appreciated in our definition of success?

1. The Misalignment Between Pursuits and Desires

 In today's hyper-connected world, a glaring disconnect exists. Seasoned leaders and entrepreneurs genuinely seek one thing. But society provides a different narrative.

Current research suggests a significant majority of entrepreneurs value independence and freedom, more so than traditional measures of success.

For example, a study on liveyourmessage.com reveals that 65% of entrepreneurs chose entrepreneurship for freedom [1]. Another survey shows that 84% of self-employed individuals work to live independently [2].

Yet, an overwhelming number of resources are aimed at making money. A simple Google search yields about 228 million results for "how to make money for entrepreneurs". But only 52.9 million for "how to find freedom for entrepreneurs".

This imbalance raises important questions. Are we overlooking a critical aspect of our success? Are we missing out on a fulfilling journey towards freedom? Are we lacking an awareness of what success truly means to us?

2. Freedom: A Crucial Component of Fulfillment and Success

We are so conditioned to think in terms of what we are familiar with. We are focused on the things we deal with every day. And often, our environment does not allow us to talk about freedom unless it fits into that daily mold.

But Freedom goes beyond controlling one's schedule. The notion of freedom permeates all aspects of our professional and personal lives.

For instance, we may be chasing Economic Freedom, the Free Market, or Freedom of Contract, while failing to realize that these pursuits are our quests for freedom.

Freedom of Expression, Safeguarding Property Rights, Freedom from Consequences, etc. are all examples of the less obvious searches for freedom that we are already engaged in.

3. A Personal Journey Towards Freedom

I am no exception. My own personal journey towards freedom has been a quest for decades, and only in recent decades have I built awareness of this freedom journey.

In the early days of my career, I traversed the rigorous paths of academia and ventured into the creative halls of research and development on a quest to intellectual freedom. After I pursued a career in the corporate world, where I was looking for freedom to grow leadership skills, I entered the world of startups and early-stage success stories to find freedom of direction and freedom of vision.

But it was really deeply personal challenges that tested my understanding of freedom the most. A major illness as a young adult left me fully paralyzed and drove me on a quest for regaining freedoms we take for granted — like living, breathing or simple movement. And more recently, my successful battle with cancer taught me other invaluable lessons about freedom's various dimensions.

4. Been There, Done That: Leveraging Personal Experiences to Chart Your Freedom Path

While this personal path was difficult, I believe the lessons I learned about gaining and regaining freedom were well worth the journey, as my experiences have equipped me with insights. Insights that can guide others on their path towards freedom.

Are you feeling unfulfilled despite success?

Yearning for more meaning and significance?

Seeking personal growth and purpose on a transformative journey?

I understand your quest and am here to help you navigate this journey.

5. Embark on the Freedom Voyage in this Series of Articles

Our pursuit of freedom forms the backbone of our journeys as leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals. It's time to redefine success. Not as a destination filled with material wealth, but as a journey towards freedom.

I hope that this series will guide you through uncharted territories. In the coming articles, we'll dive deeper into what freedom means for various aspects of our lives and leadership, and how to achieve it.

Don't just read—engage. Share your thoughts or personal experiences. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sources

[1]: https://www.liveyourmessage.com/entrepreneur-statistics

[2]: https://entrepreneurbeginnings.com/why-entrepreneurs-have-so-much-freedom/