A visionary who was unable to successfully manage finances, Walt Disney experienced bankruptcy before his 22nd birthday. After writing his first children’s book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, Theodor Seuss Geisel had 27 publishers reject his manuscript. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her reporting job because she “wasn’t fit” for television.
Successful failures. Despite setback after setback, Disney, Seuss, and Winfrey refused to give up. Through their struggles, they still saw the potential and chose to reinvent themselves and try again.
In Leadership and the Art of Struggle, I discuss steps that you can take for adapting to your current situation, and what to do when reinvention leads to finding a different situation.
Although there is a time and a place when moving on is the better choice, I prefer to focus on helping you find ways to successfully adapt to the current situation, through growth and self-discovery. Despite 27 rejections, Dr. Seuss knew he was on to something with his tongue-twisting children’s stories, and children everywhere are glad he kept trying.
It’s not always easy. Sometimes the process of discovering self requires asking difficult questions.
Are my old models and styles of leadership working for me right now?
Is there something that I need to change about myself to better adapt to the current situation?
Am I causing unnecessary tension in my workplace, thereby stoking the fire?
Take it a step deeper, to probe the underlying models, assumptions, and philosophies that frame your leadership view. Is there something that you need to let go of to make room for change? The choices that you make are the most vivid expression of your leadership. They reflect who you are as a person.
Walt Disney made the choice to pick himself up and try again after declaring bankruptcy. Dr. Seuss decided to continue writing books, even when Mulberry Street only brought in $3,500 in royalties. Oprah didn’t listen to those who fired her, and enjoyed a successful television career for over 25 years.
If they can do it, so can you.
