Story thread · 2 reports / 1 sources

How our upbringing shapes our ideas of success. Why that matters and what to do about it

fastcompany.com · 3hShare

One of the things that continues to surprise me about executive coaching is how often conversations about work become conversations about family. Clients rarely come in wanting to talk about their parents. They want to decide whether to take a promotion, how to navigate a difficult boss, become more effective leaders, or determine why they’re burned out. Family history almost never makes the agenda. And yet, more often than not, that’s where we end up. Not because their parents are an active problem, but because many of the assumptions shaping our professional lives were formed long before we ever had careers. {"blockType":"mv-promo-block","data":{"imageDesktopUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition.png","imageMobileUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/11\/cupofambition-mobile.png","eyebrow":"","headline":"\u003Cstrong\u003ESubscribe to \u003Cem\u003EA Cup of Amb

First report: If you run a solo business, here’s how AI agents can help you — fastcompany.com, 2d