The Meaning of Failure

It's always interesting to read about, talk with, and learn from CEOs and leaders in various industries. Many of the challenges they face are no different than the ones faced by you and I every day - often times they only differ in magnitude. The strategies, perspectives and ideas they have are often helpful to those pursuing a greater leadership legacy in their own life.

For example, in a previous issue of Fortune magazine, the author asked two CEOs and one business consultant about failure and what it means to them. Four goods points:

1. You can be tolerant of failure, but not of mediocrity and incompetence. Incompetence is a lack of commitment to excellence.

2. Failure is a motivator. Thomas Edison achieved his great success through repeated failure.

3. Give people who have failed another chance. Give them more resources or the opportunity to institutionalize what they've learned.

4. The only way to come up with a breakthrough is to take bigger risks.

The final point echos a point made by Richard J. Machowicz in his book: Unleash the Warrior Within.

It’s not until you risk it all and go for the thing you really want that life becomes unlimited. All the shackles are released.

Culture is everything. Not race. Not money. Culture.

The people of Japan are still recovering the tragic events surrounding the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck the island nation on Friday. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami wreaked havoc in the northeast portion of the country. This is reportedly the strongest earthquake to hit Japan in at least 150 years.

A colleague forwarded me this article from the Telegraph which discusses the remarkable social fabric of the Japanese culture...

The landscape of parts of Japan looks like the aftermath of World War Two; no industrialised country since then has suffered such a death toll. The one tiny, tiny consolation is the extent to which it shows how humanity can rally round in times of adversity, with heroic British rescue teams joining colleagues from the US and elsewhere to fly out.

And solidarity seems especially strong in Japan itself. Perhaps even more impressive than Japan’s technological power is its social strength, with supermarkets cutting prices and vending machine owners giving out free drinks as people work together to survive. Most noticeably of all, there has been no looting...

In the face of the worst naturual disaster in their nation's history the Japanese people are displaying amazing altruism even in adversity.

As my colleague notes: Culture is everything. Not race. Not money. Culture.

Are We Willing To Make That Commitment

One of the most powerful and moving books I've read in recent years is Richard Stearns' The Hole In Our Gospel. The book is a story of how a CEO faced his own struggle to obey God, whatever the cost, and his passionate call for Christians to change the world by actively living out their faith.

At it's very core the book is a challenge to American Christians to remember their place in the family of the Body of Christ and the responsibilities that come with affluence and relative security. The book is not only compelling but motivating:

The question for us is whether we are willing to make that commitment-to live and act differently, and to repair the hole in our own gospel. If we are, then God will use us as parts of His amazing plan to change our world....

...this... involves an intentional decision. It doesn't just happen.

The truth is, demonstrating commitment is hard work - but in all walks of life, leadership comes down to commitment. Commitment focuses on eliminating complacency, confronting what is not working, and consistently striving for improvement. The spirit of improving is rooted in challenging current expectation and ultimately taking the risk to make changes.

Wavering commitment is usually seen as no commitment at all. It takes determination and persistence. Possibly the best description of commitment is "persistence with a purpose".

So the question then becomes, are you willing to commit yourself to a higher standard - a greater purpose?

Talent Bolstered by an Undaunting Work Ethic

Lionel Messi, regarded as the world's best soccer player, led his Barcelona squad to a crucial victory over Arsenal in the Champions League. This New York Times article details the dramatic style and flare of one of his two goals which shows why they call it "the beautiful game".

Rob Hughes of the Times also notes that it's not just Messi's God given talent and ability that make him the best player in the world, it's his undaunting work ethic:

One of the keys is Messi’s genius. Another is the work ethic that Messi, and all the rest of Barcelona’s players, display. It is almost as if they enjoy running as much as they enjoy caressing the ball, and it is a built-in response, honed in the academy of La Masia, that the instant a Barça player loses possession, he, or the nearest player to the ball, hunts it down like a ferret.

I know of no player, past or present, who has witnessed a greater amalgam of talent and persistence throughout one team.