Is Self-Esteem the Key to Success?

Self-esteem, despite being a common term, is not widely understood. Some people confuse it with “positive thinking” and “feeling good”. Others believe self-esteem is a fad that has outlived its importance. Personally, I think that self-esteem is the single most important determinant of personal as well as professional success.
First and foremost, what is self-esteem? Most experts generally agree that self-esteem is the overall evaluation of oneself in either a positive or negative way. It is essentially the feeling of self-competence and self-worth. In the words of H.S. Sullivan, self-esteem is “All of those feelings of competence and self-worth that hold a person together.” To be more specific, self-esteem is how a person feels about himself or herself from within. It is the general value you place upon yourself.
Self-esteem has profound impact on all aspects of our lives – how we interact with people, how we perform at school and the workplace, relationships, and most importantly, our level of happiness. Research has clearly validated that self-esteem is a key factor in enhancing academic achievement and improving student behaviour. Students with high self-esteem are more successful and active, both academically and socially, as compared to those with low self-esteem. They are also eager to express opinions and have higher aspirations or goals.
Studies have shown that schools that deliberately nurture self-esteem have recorded impressive results in academics as well as in social and personal responsibility. At the workplace, research has shown that individuals with high self-esteem are more likely to be productive in quality circles and more apt to work harder in response to negative feedback. Self-esteem is found to be very important in motivating a person to work hard and succeed. Indeed, self-esteem was ranked higher as a motivator than any other variable in order to achieve success.
To conclude, self-esteem is the single most important factor affecting an individual’s success in all areas of life. It is a prerequisite for happiness and productive behaviour in general. People perform better in virtually everything they do when they consider themselves worthy and competent. In short, self-esteem is the key to success.