Too often, we get caught up in chasing success.

Building the business. Hitting the milestones. Achieving the recognition.

Truthfully, those things do matter. They motivate us. They drive us forward. 

But they aren’t the finish line.

Success by itself is empty unless it becomes something greater — significance.

Success is about what we get.
Significance is about what we give.

Success is about reaching the top of the mountain.
Significance is about pulling others up with us.

That shift — from chasing success to creating significance — is where leadership truly comes alive.

Here are three things we can all keep in mind as we move beyond success and toward significance.

Significance is about others.

Success asks, What did I achieve?

Significance asks, Who did I help?
Whose life is better because of what we’ve done?

That simple shift in focus changes everything about how we lead. 

Significance is lasting.

Success is temporary.

Titles fade. Trophies collect dust. Financial wins come and go.

But significance lives on — in the people we’ve influenced, the culture we’ve built, and the changes we’ve sparked that keep going long after we’re gone. 

Significance requires intention.

It doesn’t just happen by accident.

Every day we face a choice: Do I chase what benefits me alone, or do I invest in something bigger than myself?

The leaders who choose significance are the ones who leave a mark that lasts.

Years ago, I gave a speech where I shared this message, and I believe it resonates even more today than it did then. You can watch it here.

Chasing success isn’t wrong. But if that’s all we pursue, we miss the bigger picture. Significance is what gives both our leadership and our lives real meaning.