More Than a Win: Redefining Success at the Top

Scottie Scheffler is the number one golfer in the world.

His ascent to the top has been marked by remarkable consistency, a calm demeanor under pressure, and an impressive array of sixteen victories on golf's grandest stages. Scheffler’s poised performance and relentless work ethic have earned him admiration from fans and fellow players alike, solidifying his reputation as a dominant force in the sport.

Yet just recently, Scheffler said winning isn’t a fulfilling life. The moment after a victory is too short, too fleeting, as the next win becomes the next hurdle. His life seems to be hurdle after hurdle—knowing he has to support his family and live the life he wants to lead.

"There's a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there, you get to No. 1 in the world, and they're like, 'What's the point?'" Scheffler told reporters ahead of the 153rd British Open, which begins Thursday. "I really do believe that, because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis."

He continued:

"It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate winning a tournament for like a few minutes. It only lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling," he said. "This is not a fulfilling life."

And finally:

"If I win, it's going to be awesome for about two minutes. And then we're going to get to the next week and it's gonna be like, 'Hey, you won two majors this year. How important is it for you to win the FedEx Cup playoffs?' We work so hard for such little moments."

Scheffler is conflicted. He doesn’t want golf to define his life. He values being defined as a husband, father, and Christian more than being known as the best golfer in the world. Yet, he hates losing. He hates not being the best at his chosen craft.

Not too far away from Scheffler’s comments was Amanda Anisimova, speaking after she lost at Wimbledon Tennis Club in just 57 minutes. Through tears, she said:

"I know I didn’t have enough today, but I’m going to keep putting in the work. I always believe in myself, so I hope to be back here again one day."

Her words caught the attention of Amy Edmondson, a professor of leadership and management at Harvard Business School, who said Anisimova gave “a masterclass in failure.”

One player is the best in the world. The other is trying to become the best. And each must handle losing as they attempt to either gain or maintain. Edmondson offers timely advice from her book Right Kind of Wrong:

Top 3 Insights

Not all failures are created equal.

Right Kind of Wrong offers a more nuanced perspective on failure, distinguishing between preventable mistakes and the exploratory failures essential for growth and innovation. In a career context, this should push us to consider when errors are unacceptable—like mismanaging quarterly financial data—and when they can actually help us learn and improve, like when experimenting with a new idea. For high achievers, this shift in mindset can be tough. But this is exactly where someone like Scheffler must find balance. Embracing “intelligent failures” can be a critical part of long-term success.

Intelligent failures require thoughtful preparation.

According to Edmondson, intelligent failures have four key traits:

1. They happen in new territory

2. They aim at meaningful opportunities

3. They are informed by research and prior knowledge

4. They are “as small as possible” to limit risk

It’s this third point—“doing your homework”—that stands out as the most actionable step in practicing intelligent failure. Intelligent failure doesn’t mean going in blind or randomly throwing ideas at the wall. It means taking calculated risks with clear purpose and preparation.

Use “systems thinking” to make better decisions.

In one of the book’s later chapters, Appreciating Systems, Edmondson goes beyond failure to explore a broader framework for making decisions. She writes, “Practicing systems thinking starts with consciously expanding your lens from its natural preference for here and now to include elsewhere and later.”

Finding balance is hard. But learning how to accept the failures we all face may help us stay grounded—and maybe even enjoy more than two minutes of our success.

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