The Leadership Insider network is an online community where the most thoughtful and influential people in business contribute answers to timely questions about careers and leadership. Today’s answer to the question: What advice would you give your 22-year-old self today? Is written by Kyle Wong, CEO of Pixlee.
I started Pixlee right out of college and, in just a few years, learned a lot through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Looking back, I now realize, things are never as good or as bad as they seem in the moment.
Being the founder and CEO of a startup is an emotional rollercoaster, regardless of whether you’re a fresh college graduate or an experienced serial entrepreneur. In a single day You can feel incredibly high and incredibly low over the span of a few hours. Every day you will face wins and losses. One of the most important lessons I learned from this is that things are never as good or as a bad as they seem. In fact, it’s probably somewhere in the middle. When you’ve had success, don’t let that success lead to arrogance, hubris, and or a lack of focus. And after a setback, know that it’s is not the end of the world — after all, worrying isn’t a the solution.
Not every 22–year–old is a startup founder, but chances are you will have some breakthrough moments and make some mistakes at your first job, regardless of your role. The circumstances of these experiences will help to shape you — they will expand your skillset, bring you a greater sense of empathy to junior employees, and give you a better idea of what being a good manager means., etc.
While you may be placing a lot of pressure on yourself to perform at a high level and see immediate wins, it’s important to take everything with a grain of salt. You will no doubt see success and failure in your future, but you can’t cannot let either take you off track.
Read all answers to the Leadership Insider question: What advice would you give your 22-year-old self today?
How starting at the bottom gets you to the top — quicker by Frederic Kerrest, co-founder and COO of Okta.
What entrepreneurs get wrong about success by Lynn LeBlanc, CEO and founder of HotLink.
Why you should never get promoted too quickly by David Kong, CEO of Best Western.
