A Great Man's Definition of Success (DQ SOLO)

#136: One of my favorite shows over the last 5 years is Billions.

 

Bobby Axelrod (brilliantly played by Damien Lewis), is a multi billionaire hedge fund titan and one of the lead characters in the series.

 

He’s a ruthless self-proclaimed “carnivorous monster” who will break laws and burn cities…

 

…so long as he wins.

 

And Bobby wins…a lot.

 

But when he wins…its almost exclusively at the expense of something or someone else.

 

Like a parasite, Bobby only gets bigger by consuming, destroying or pillaging to feed his own appetite.

 

As a TV show character Bobby Axelrod is fascinating.

 

As a human being in real life, he’d be a deplorable threat to society.

 

And yet, there are plenty of mini real-life Bobby Axelrods running around, capturing the admiration of others…

 

…primarily because of how narrowly we define “success.”

 

Shows like Billions get me thinking:

 

Why is our definition of success so narrow?

 

Why do we celebrate coaches who win, but treat players like disposable widgets?

Why do we celebrate a business magnate who ignores his family?

Why do we celebrate financial success when it comes at the expense of health? 

 

In today’s episode I dive deeper into these questions…

 

…and provide a new definition of success, worthy of a Great Man.