Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.

Jack Welch, a titan of industry, once spoke with piercing clarity: “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” These words, though born from the halls of business, hold wisdom that reaches beyond commerce into the very heart of human purpose. They reveal that the journey of greatness has two stages—the building of the self, and the building of others.

In the first stage, the path is narrow and inward. Success is about growing yourself. This is the time of preparation, of discipline, of sharpening one’s own tools. It is the stage when ambition fuels the fire, when every effort is spent on developing knowledge, skill, and strength. Just as a young warrior must train his arm before he can wield a sword, so must a man or woman cultivate their own abilities before they can guide another. To grow oneself is not selfishness—it is foundation. Without it, leadership collapses.

But when the mantle of leadership falls upon the shoulders, the journey changes. No longer is greatness measured by the self alone. Success becomes the art of growing others. A leader is no longer judged by their own victories, but by the victories they enable in those they lead. Just as the sun shines not for itself but to bring life to the world, so too must a leader give light and strength to others. Here lies the true test: will you hoard your growth, or will you sow it into the lives of those who follow?

Consider the story of Alexander the Great. In his youth, he studied under Aristotle, growing himself in knowledge, strategy, and vision. This was his season of self-cultivation. But when he became king and general, his success was measured not in his own learning but in how he inspired and commanded his armies. Men followed him across deserts and into the jaws of death because he lifted them beyond themselves. His legacy was not only his conquests, but the loyalty and courage he awakened in his soldiers. Thus history confirms Welch’s wisdom: leadership is the growth of others.

Even in more recent times, the example of Nelson Mandela shines brightly. In the long years of prison, he grew himself—disciplining his spirit, mastering patience, and learning forgiveness. But when he emerged as leader of a nation, his success was no longer in his own growth, but in uniting a people, healing divisions, and inspiring generations. His greatness was not in the strength he carried within, but in the strength he awakened in millions.

The lesson is clear: every life must pass through both stages. First, build yourself with diligence. Study, train, labor, refine. But do not remain forever in the mirror of self. When the time comes, lift your gaze outward. Let your success be measured not by what you achieve for yourself, but by what you awaken in others. A true leader is not the tallest tree in the forest, but the one whose roots nourish all the others.

So, O children of tomorrow, take this counsel into your hearts. In youth, grow yourself. Fill your mind with wisdom, your body with strength, your spirit with discipline. But when you rise to leadership, let your joy be the growth of those entrusted to you. Mentor, guide, uplift. Give your people not only direction, but courage and belief in themselves. For this is the mark of true greatness: not what you become, but what you help others become.

Thus remember always: success begins with the self but culminates in others. To stop at self-growth is to remain incomplete; to grow others is to enter immortality. Lead not for your own glory, but for the flourishing of those who walk beside you. In this, you will find the deepest success, and your name will be spoken not as one who rose alone, but as one who raised a generation.