Winston Churchill once wrote, "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
As we close out 2018 and consider how to make 2019 our best year ever, the notion of slogging through a series of failures is not appealing. That said, failure motivates us in a way that success can't. The secret to learning from failure is embodied in Churchill's admonition - "Don't lose your enthusiasm!"
But how? Since most of us are high-energy leaders, we beat ourselves up on a regular basis, especially when we fail. We invest way too much time figuring out what isn't working and focusing on ways to fix it.
This drive to move from problem to problem overwhelms us to the point we lose sight of what should be our goal - a productive, satisfying, balanced life.
Without being aware of it, we professional problem-solvers find ourselves trapped in a hamster wheel. We experience life as a series of problems to be solved instead of opportunities to be enjoyed. This pattern of behavior makes maintaining a high level of enthusiasm almost impossible. And as our enthusiasm dries up, our attitude becomes a stagnant pool of bitter water that poisons the people closest to us.
So, how can we ensure that 2019 finds us using our best problem-solving skills to gain satisfaction and build positive relationships? Let's see what Churchill might say:
Get help: "The power of man has grown in every sphere, except over himself." Isolation is a common denominator among leaders. When we become frozen because of fears and anxieties, we also bind up the creativity and opportunities of those closest to us. As leaders, we must take the first critical steps to becoming "unstuck."
Create change: "Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning." We often forget that the future is rapidly approaching with every passing minute. We waste valuable energy and brain space worrying about all kinds of what-if scenarios and outcomes. Instead, we should be leveraging every bit of information we can get our hands on to map out a plan for facing the future head-on.
Don't make excuses; gain insights: "We draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival." Every time I hear a leader say, "We tried that once, and it didn't work," my question is: So what did you learn from the experience that will help it work next time?
Take stock; what's really important: "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see." Exploring our past is more than just figuring out what went wrong, because in fact, most things went right! That's how we got here. Instead, we should become students of our own past beliefs and behaviors to discover what is or is not working for us in the present.
Take personal responsibility; own your own fears: "Difficulties mastered are opportunities won." Leading others in a great cause is tough on a good day; and when we have a string of bad days, it seems overwhelming. Facing and overcoming these types of obstacles require that we know who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. Over the years, I have found that a combination of courage and humility is the proper recipe for successfully engaging our people to succeed in tough times.
By confessing my fears (and allowing them to do the same), we have rallied together in our common cause to meet opposition head-on and overcome. Mastering our fears together has built a foundation of trust for the future.
Lead and learn with courage: "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." As leaders, many of us have a hard time slowing down, sitting down and listening to our people. It just does not come naturally to us. That said, being open to the ideas and critiques of our people may be the greatest expression of courageous leadership we can display. If this skill comes naturally to you, then you already understand the benefits. If it does not, I encourage you to engage with a coach, mentor or other instructor who can model and teach it.
Give more than you take: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." When we think about people that we admire, most tend to be folks who pour out their lives and talents for the good of others.
The future is a big place, and 2019 can be an exciting and remarkable opportunity to experience the joy of serving each other and growing our wonderful Fort Worth business community. I'm certain that if Winston Churchill were here to cheer us on, he would remind us to "never, never, never give up!" I will be praying and cheering for your successful 2019!
Tony Ford is CEO of Success Fort Worth, an executive coaching firm in Fort Worth. He's a serial entrepreneur and former winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for support of entrepreneurship. He writes this column for each issue of Fort Worth Inc. Contact: [email protected]