What Nobody Tells You About Success

Success is beautiful. It is deeply fulfilling to see your hard work recognised, your voice respected, your influence growing. It is a privilege. One I do not take for granted.

But there is a side to success that no one quite prepares you for. The part beyond the applause. Beyond the headlines and high-fives. Beyond the polished pictures and curated posts. There is an emotional tax that comes with being “the example.”

A quiet pressure. A silent cost. A sacred burden.

The Loneliness at the Top is Real

As you rise, your circle often shrinks. Not because you want it to but because not everyone can journey with you. There are days when the room gets quieter. When the expectation is that you always have the answers. When people look to you, but few check in on you.

Sometimes success is less about being seen, and more about being watched. And if you are not careful, you begin to perform instead of lead. To protect your image instead of tend to your soul.

The Fatigue of Being “Inspirational”

Being called a “role model” is an honour. But it can also be exhausting. There is an unspoken demand to never mess up. To always be composed. To always rise above, even when your humanity is cracking under pressure.

You become the one people quote, but forget to cover in prayer. You become the one they emulate, but rarely empathise with. And slowly, if you are not rooted, you start to confuse your image with your identity.

But your worth is not tied to your visibility. Your value does not increase with your follower count. And success should never come at the cost of authenticity.

The Pressure to Keep Producing

The higher you rise, the more people expect. Another idea. Another win. Another proof that you deserve the seat you are in. Especially as a woman. So you keep going. Sometimes out of purpose, sometimes out of pressure. You achieve, not because you are inspired, but because you are afraid of being seen as replaceable.

You say yes, not because it aligns, but because silence feels like irrelevance. But the cost? Your joy. Your peace. Your clarity.

What Has Helped Me

Staying anchored in God, not applause. I have learned that my calling is not to impress. It is to steward. Some seasons, the rewards are visible. Other times, they are internal. But God sees both.

Protecting my identity from my performance

I am a person before I am a title. A daughter before I am a director. A soul before I am a speaker.

Creating sacred, honest spaces

Every leader needs a circle where she can lay her crown. Where she can say, “I am not okay today,” and not be judged. Mentors, therapists, friends who see beyond the shine.

Taking intentional pauses

I now understand that rest is not retreat. It is resistance against a world that equates busyness with value.

Even Jesus Withdrew

One of the most powerful images in scripture is of Jesus (at the height of His ministry, miracles flowing, crowds swelling) withdrawing to quiet places to pray (Luke 5:16).

Even the Son of God did not let success override solitude. He didn’t let applause drown out intimacy. He knew when to step back to stay aligned.

Final Thoughts

So yes, success is sweet.

But it is also sacred. And it must be stewarded with wisdom. If you are rising, remember to also root. If you are visible, make sure you are also whole.

Let us not be women who are admired and exhausted.

Let us be women who are anchored and alive.

Who understand that true success is not just about being celebrated, it is about being sustained.

Wola Joseph-Condotti is the CEO of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC). She is a Harvard-trained lawyer and passionate advocate for faith-driven leadership, gender equity, and energy transition in Africa, she writes from the intersection of power, purpose, and personal growth.