Success Evolution: From Climbing Ladders to Lifting Leaders with Geoff McLachlan
No More Leadership BS
Success Evolution: From Climbing Ladders to Lifting Leaders with Geoff McLachlan
November 26, 2025
Remember when success meant corner offices, power suits, and climbing the corporate ladder? Our crew reveals why that definition is dead wrong—and shares the painful lessons learned along the way. Spoiler: A rising tide lifts all boats, but only if you're actually IN the boat and not drowning on the shore. Discover why what drove you at 25 shouldn't drive you at 55, and learn the surprising truth about what success really means.

Success Isn't a Destination—It's a Revolution in Thinking
Remember when success meant corner offices, power suits, and six-figure salaries? Yeah, we thought that was the dream too. Spoiler alert: We were wrong.

In this episode of No More Leadership BS, our crew tackles one of the most profound questions facing leaders today: How has your definition of success evolved over time? And trust us, the answers might just make you rethink everything you thought you knew about "making it."


From Me to We: The Great Success Pivot
Our hosts dive deep into the transformation every authentic leader eventually experiences—the shift from "success is about me" to "success is about everyone else." Revolutionary concept, we know. But here's the thing: it takes wisdom to get there, and wisdom requires experience, and experience takes time. There's no shortcut to this particular enlightenment.

The conversation gets real about those early career days; chasing titles, working 12-hour days just to get noticed, climbing that corporate ladder like it was Mount Everest. But somewhere along the journey, something shifts. Success stops being about the spotlight and starts being about the people standing in it with you.


The Rising Tide Reality Check
Here's where it gets interesting. Yes, a rising tide lifts all boats, but you've got to make sure you're actually IN a boat, not standing on the shore drowning while everyone else floats away. Think again! Success isn't about sacrificing yourself on the altar of everyone else's achievements. It's about creating that rising tide together, where everyone wins...including you.

One host shares a cautionary tale about putting employees first without keeping themselves afloat. The ending? Not pretty. The lesson? Invaluable. You can't pour from an empty cup, and nobody's going to wait around to save you when they're doing just fine because you set that expectation.


Life Stages and Success Recalibration
The conversation takes a fascinating turn into how life events dramatically reshape what success means. That little human (aka your kid) changes everything. Suddenly you're measuring success by making it to soccer games and band concerts, not just board meetings. And when that human launches into their own life? Time for another recalibration.

Success isn't static—it's constantly evolving based on where you are in life, what you've learned, and what actually feeds your soul. At 25, success might be joining that 401(k) (though let's be honest, who actually did?). At 45, it's about impact and legacy. At 65? It's about knowing you made a difference.


The Wisdom We Wish We'd Had
Perhaps the most powerful insight: imagine having clarity and intentionality about your career path at 25. Imagine someone sitting you down and helping you define what success really means; not just the symptoms of success (the suit, the briefcase, the scratch golf handicap), but the actual substance of it.

The truth is, we don't know what we don't know when we're starting out. We chase what the culture tells us to chase. We compete because that's what we're incentivized to do. And it's only with time and perspective that we realize success isn't a destination we arrive at—it's a journey we're on until we take our last breath.


The Bottom Line
Success is personal, evolving, and never about the individual leader, it's about the people, the impact, and the legacy. It's about intentionally creating conditions where everyone can win, including yourself. And it's about having the wisdom to know that what drove you at 25 shouldn't be what drives you at 55.


Tune In For:
Your definition of success is evolving right now. The question is: are you paying attention?

Have questions,  suggestions or just a great story to tell about some Leadership BS you have experienced? Let us know by emailing us 

Today's Featured Coach - 

Geoff McLachlan - Motivational Speaker, Trainer and Coach, Bringing Fun Back Into the Workplace,  Owner/Founder of Professionals At Play  Reach Geoff directly at [email protected] or 509-869-4506

The rest of the gang: