•The Case for “Being a Compassionate Achiever”

There is this traditional narrative that success requires stepping on others if you want to succeed.

So a lot of people think that the best way to pull themselves up is by pushing others down.

But what they don’t know is that any success that comes that way is always temporary.

On many occasion, I have told people that I don’t want the failure of other people to determine my own success and I am very serious about that.

The reason for my world view is because I have realized that most inspiring leaders are not just successful. They are the ones who lift others up along the way.

I am talking about the compassionate achievers, that is those who have mastered the art of pursuing excellence while elevating those around them.

There is no doubt that we are in a very selfish world, but the truth is that there are more of them than you might imagine.

However, most of them don't self-promote or run commentaries on what they are doing or what they have done.

They are always quite.

They don’t allow their left hand don’t notice what their right hand is doing.

One of this wonderful people is Bode Adediji of Bode Adediji Partnership, an estate surveyor and valuer guru from Ede in Osun State.

It was through him that I learned about the concept of the "compassionate achiever".

Unlike most people who want to be the only star in the firmament, Adediji wants those around him to also succeed.

He practically challenged the traditional narrative that success requires stepping on others or pushing those around you down, so that you would become the sun that the other planets revolve around.

As a journalist with The Sun newspaper then and also an Igbo, Bode Adediji one day told me thus, “Peter, I know that you are a very shy person. You don’t like telling people your problems. I am giving you and your wife, one month. Go and think of a business that you can combine with this journalism you’re doing; come and I will sponsor it.”

So do you see that this narrative of Yoruba hating Igbo and vice versa is not really true.

The truth is, there are good people and bad people everywhere.

As we have bad Yoruba people, we also have very good Yoruba people.

As we have good Igbo people, we also have very terrible Igbo people.

As we have bad Hausa people, we also have very wonderful Hausa people.

Even the Fulanis that is currently on the lips of most people for the wrong reasons, we also have very wonderful Fulanis.

That is the reason why it is never good to paint the whole people with the same brush.

Back to our subject matter, the concept of compassionate achiever is people driven by intrinsic values—such as creating meaningful impact—not only achieve more, but also sustain their success longer than those focused solely on external rewards.

Think about it: while others exhaust themselves in zero-sum games, compassionate achievers tap into a renewable energy source: the power of purpose-driven success.

They operate with what I call "grounded audacity"—to have a bold and daring belief in yourself without being blinded by ego.

This unique combination creates several game-changing advantages:

Innovation through Inclusion: Instead of hoarding insights, they create environments in which diverse perspectives thrive.

Stronger, More Resilient Networks: While others build transactional relationships, compassionate achievers forge genuine connections that weather challenges and create real opportunities.

Sustainable Success: Their achievements compound because they focus on lifting others up. Every win creates ripples of positive impact.

Here's what makes compassionate achievers particularly effective in today's landscape. They:

Transform competitors into collaborators by finding win-win scenarios

Build loyalty through genuine investment in others' growth

Spot opportunities others miss because they're actually listening

Create sustainable success by building supportive ecosystems, not just personal empires

Your Path to Compassionate Achievement

Compassionate achievement is about team work; it is about succeeding together.

Compassionate achievement is realizing that your greatest achievement is not how many houses you built, how many cars you drove or how many billions you have in your bank accounts, but rather the help or services that you render to humanity.

To make this possible, you have to change your goals for each achievement you are pursuing by first of all identifying how it could benefit others.

This is not really about diminishing your ambition, rather it is about magnifying your impact.

Compassionate achievers are proving that there is a better way. They are demonstrating that the highest forms of achievement don't require sacrificing our humanity.

The question is not whether you can afford to be a compassionate achiever?

In today's interconnected world, the real question is: can you afford not to be?

So what is your next move to blend compassion with achievement? Your path to a larger impact might be closer than you think. Merry Christmas in advance.

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