by Michiel Schuitemaker, Featured Contributor[su_dropcap style=”flat”]M[/su_dropcap]OST OF US, at some point, will decide what the maximum is we will achieve in our lifetime. This is not a conscious decision but one that is made unconsciously at a fairly young age. For me, I had set my personal ceiling by deciding not to live a bigger life then my family had before me, not to be more successful than my older brother and not to go over the top and possibly alienate my friends. Everyone at some point in their lives buys into this ceiling. It might take some soul-searching to realize it but if you think about it, you might feel you have one too. So have a talk with your CEO, is your CEO limiting your business?
Having a success ceiling is one thing but how to break through it is another. There are three steps; first you have to identify the ceiling you have set for yourself, then you need to thank yourself for how it has served you in your life, then you need to awaken to the fact that you can do without it and fully embrace this new thought. Realizing you have a self-imposed ceiling is a revelation. A decision made as a child that stuck with you all this time! How much is enough? Do I really want or deserve that big house or is this one good enough for me? Do I want that fancy car or is this less fancy better for me? All of these thoughts are thoughts that keep you below your success ceiling. Even more amazing are actions that sabotage your successes. Sometimes people who make it big lose it all again. Why? Because they were above their own ceiling and sabotaged their success to get below it again. Is your CEO doing the same to your business? Is your CEO limiting your business in this way?
Unless your CEO has done this internal work, your CEO has a mental image of how successful he will be in life. You need to find out where he has set his own ceiling. If his success ceiling is relatively low, your CEO will never allow your business to thrive beyond where he feels comfortable with the success it will give him. Only a CEO that has an unlimited success ceiling will allow your business to thrive without limits. What CEO do you have? Is your CEO limiting your business or is his success ceiling high enough to drive him, your business and your growth?
No one is waiting for another mediocre CEO, these are a dime a dozen. Choose a CEO that has the mentality that the sky is the limit. Do you think Sir Richard Branson set a limit on his success? Do you think it ever crosses his mind that he doesn’t deserve his island? How about Donald Trump? When you interview a CEO, find out what his personal ceiling is. Look at how he presents himself and listen to the words he chooses. Make sure that his view of success and the level of it coincides with the companies. Only then will your company flourish as the extension of your CEO’s drive to succeed.
