The Mind of Vatke
Thoughts, Musings and Advice by Andre Vatke

“I often wondered why are others succeeding and not me? I realized it was me that was causing the failure.”

- Jeffrey Zalewski

It’s human nature to blame others for what goes wrong and at the same time take sole credit for what goes right. It’s not until we take responsibility for our own actions and the effect they have on ourselves and others, that we have a chance at seeing real success.

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No successful person is ever a true product of their own creation. There is only so far you can go on your own. To go all the way, you need the backing of a team. In fact you not only need the backing, you need to be a part of a team.

This is something that is hard for us to grasp. As humans we are wired to look out for our own interests before we look out for the interests of others. Yet it’s our ability to move beyond our wiring that sets us apart from every other creature on this planet and is the very cornerstone of civilization.

There are a lot of people who talk about the need to take responsibility (including me!) for our actions. But unless we also accurately assess the role that others play in our success we will continue to alienate those who are so instrumental in our own accomplishments.

No successful entrepreneurs from Bill Gates to Richard Branson is a lone ranger. If you want above average success become a part of a team. Take full responsibility for your own actions and the ripples they create in those around you. And most importantly, recognize and allow others to be a part of that success. It’s the only way you will actually make it.