While no one likes to fail or the inevitable feelings of disappoint that follow failure, any successful leader must make friends with disappointment. While many people think of leaders and successful business people as immune from failures and disappointment, it is exactly these people who must often become well-acquainted with the perils of trying and failing. After all, anyone who has gone out on a limb has occasionally fallen from the branch.
“Anyone who has gone out on a limb has occasionally fallen from the branch.”
What does this mean? Well, leaders aim high and the higher you aim, the more disappointing it is when you fall short. And the more attempts you make at greatness, the more often you will stumble and must shake it off and go back to the drawing board. Most successful people didn’t get that way because they had ONE good idea. They succeeded because they had hundreds of ideas that didn’t work and yet they kept at it.
“Successful people don’t get that way because they have ONE good idea. They succeeded because they had hundreds of ideas that DIDN’T work and yet they kept at it.”
In fact, the people who sit around trying so very hard to make something mistake-proof and perfect are the very ones who NEVER get started. Sure they are immune to failure, but in playing it safe they are also cut off from the big wins that come with putting yourself out there and risking failure. And they still have to contend with the disappointment over what they didn’t go after.
So make friends with disappointment, get comfortable with failure in so much as you don’t let it keep you from going ‘all in.’
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