THE GREATEST ENEMY OF SUCCESS IS SUCCESS
I’ve learned something crucial about success: it’s dangerous. Comfort kills growth. Stephen Elop, in his final moments as Nokia’s CEO, put it bluntly: leadership is not about titles—it’s about managing change and leaving a legacy. He said, “We didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost.” That’s the hard truth: you don’t have to do anything to fail, but you must act to endure. Nokia was unstoppable once—synonymous with reliability, durability, and trust. Yet when the smartphone revolution came, it hesitated. Touchscreens, apps, and ecosystems reshaped the market. Nokia bet on the wrong horse: Windows Phone. Meanwhile, Apple, Samsung, and Google surged ahead, rewriting the rules. Comfort had trapped Nokia in its own success. This isn’t just Nokia. Kodak ignored digital photography. Blockbuster dismissed streaming. BlackBerry clung to buttons while the world moved to touchscreens. All of them fell—not because they lacked talent, but because they rested on past victories. The lesson is clear: leadership is not about how much you create today—it’s about how much you leave behind. You grow in private, but you must act boldly in public. Agility, vision, and courage are the currency of lasting influence. Success is fragile. Resting on laurels is the fastest path to irrelevance. The world won’t wait, and neither should you. If you want to lead, you must move first, adapt faster, and leave a legacy that outlives your comfort. ©️ Ayobami Francis