The Goldilocks Track: the Path to Success That is Just. Right.

Friday morning, as we waited for the Georgia Diversity Council's Most Powerful and Influential Women Breakfast keynote speaker, Ninfa Saunders, to begin, our table talked excitedly about the sessions planned for the day. There was so much good ground to cover and not nearly enough time to cover it.

We began to wonder about the "Fast Track to the Corner Office" session, and its facilitator, who was also sitting at our table, said, "You know, I'm not sure that a 'fast track' to the corner office is a good thing. If you get there too fast, you won't have the experience to do the right job." His suggestion gave me an idea: perhaps successful people take the Goldilocks Track. Perhaps truly successful people don't take the fast track or the slow track.

Perhaps they take the track that's just right. For them.

Fixating on the "fast track" leads to two fundamental fallacies: 1. the faster it happens, the more "successy" success is, and 2. there is just one, probably secret, path that gets you there. The notion of a fast track to success is outdated, chained to the career ladder model of yesterday's business. Titles, skills, careers were focused and sequential. C was obviously far down the straight line from A, and it was a reward for smart, hard work and company loyalty. 

But here's the thing: that world has passed. There's no longer (was there ever, really?) just one secret path to success. In fact, dare I say, there isn't one "success." The culture of business has shifted to appreciate individualized paths with scenic detours that lead to discovery, innovation, and an uncharted success destination. In this new culture, Business Administration student double major in Theater. Top students join the Peace Corps before taking their first entry-level jobs. Accountants moonlight as novelists. Lawyers leave their firms to start food carts.

Modern successful individuals give themselves permission to try new experiences and adventures, even if those attempts may end up somewhere they never expected or anticipated, even if they end up in failure. They accept that there may be many ways to succeed that may make them content and may be the best use of their passions and skills.

And so they explore and consider.  They try out the hard bed, the cold porridge, and the small chair until they find the path and success that are just. right.

The idea of the Goldilocks Track in our one-size-fits-all society intrigues me, and I'm excited to explore further its possibilities for growth, diversity, and creativity in the modern business world.