So What Does Success Look Like?

Maria Rodriquez arrived in the United States with her family when she was 12 years old. Her parents left her at home to care for her little brother while they went off in pursuit of the American dream. She was from Cuba, the largest island in the Caribbean, where her parents left all they had as an escape. Countless days and nights were spent fighting for a better life. Maria was fair, so her ethnicity was always mistaken. But her inability to speak the language left many confused. After graduating from high school, she went to college then dropped out because she got married. But pregnancy changed her life. She promised her unborn son that she would make sure he had the best life. That promise resulted in her reenrollment in college, where she decided to study journalism. She later captured one of the top spots in the field. Maria now manages one of the country’s top media stations.

What Does Success Look Like?

So, what does success look like? How does it feel? Does it follow the pattern of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness? More specifically, what does it take to be successful? Can anyone achieve success? Is it limited to only the rich and famous? These questions have been asked by many individuals who have a desire to become successful―to achieve their dreams, hopes and aspirations.

Success means getting what a person wants with rewards that are sustainable for individuals and those for whom they care.

Success though Elicited, is not always linear. To be clear, let’s define success. The term success refers to the attainment of wealth, position, and honors. More importantly, success means different things to different people. Essentially, it means getting what a person wants with rewards that are sustainable for individuals and those for whom they care. Fereshteh Amin shared components of her research about high achievers:

• Happiness
• Achievement
• Significance
• Legacy.

Success that encompasses all four kinds of accomplishments is more enriching and lasting.

So what does Success mean to you? Do share.

Author: Dr. Shelly

Dr. Shelly Cameron is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and author of 12 nonfiction books, including The GreenLight Factor and Success Strategies of Caribbean American Leaders. She is the creator of the GreenLight Leadership Framework and founder of Global Coaching Corner. She leads the Ignite Caribbean 30 Under 30 Emerging Leaders program. Drawing on over 20 years of global HR leadership experience, she's passionate about helping professionals navigate change and design fulfilling lives through intentional goal setting and self-discovery. Her research was published in the JAABC Business Journal, and she was a featured author for the 2026 Africana Arts & Humanities Festival's 250th celebration. 🎉 A thank-you: SuccessfulLeaders.net just crossed 100,000 views! Grateful for every reader who's made this milestone possible. View all posts by Dr. Shelly