Feature2 – Lead2Transform

Leadership & Persistence Part II: Great Lessons Learned From Failure

Mark McCloskey — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 13:22:51 +0000

In August 1978, the first successful trans-Atlantic balloon flight became a reality when the Double Eagle II touched ground in a barley field in the French village of Messery. Between 1873 and 1978, thirteen trans-Atlantic attempts had been made—all ending in failure. Double Eagle II had tried and failed, ending up in Iceland the previous year. What made the difference in 1978?

Learning from experience,” said expedition leader Maxie Anderson. “Success in any venture is just the intelligent application of failure.”

Failure only truly harms us

—it always hurts—when we ignore

its gifts of feedback and insight.

Those who learn to fail well,

eventually learn how to succeed.

Winston Churchill, no stranger to failure or success, said it well.

Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”

Success often precedes failure by producing complacency. But, failures of the intelligent sort precede success by shattering complacency and prompting new learning.

Here a few examples that I hope you find encouraging.

On FedEx’s first day in business they sent six packages to U. S. customers. Today, it is the world’s largest express package delivery and freight company. It delivers more than five million items each working day to 215 countries, with a fleet of seventy thousand vehicles, over 600 aircraft and over 2,000 employees.

Michael Jordan was cut from the Laney High School (Wilmington, NC) varsity basketball team as a sophomore. Instead of giving up on his basketball future, Jordan used the disappointment to fuel his persistence and work ethic. He went about the business of working out and playing basketball after school to get ready for the next try-out. He reminisces,

Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it, and that usually got me going again.”

Jordan made the team the next year and led them to the North Carolina state championship.

John Grisham got up and worked from 5-7 a.m. for three years on his first novel, A Time to Kill. Grisham spent another year shopping it to publishers. He was turned down by “thirty-some” publishers (he lost track) before a small New York publisher, Wynwood Press gave it a modest 5,000 copy printing. Grisham has gone on to be recognized as one of the world’s bestselling novelists.

Edison’s first experimental electric light bulbs were so dim that his research team had to use a gaslight to see it.

The Wright brothers’ first flight lasted only twelve seconds and went 120 feet.

Abraham Lincoln had less than three years of formal education. His mother died when he was ten. He and his wife, Mary Todd had four boys, only one of which made it to adulthood. He failed in business in 1831. He was defeated for the Illinois State Legislature in 1832. He failed again in business in 1833. He was elected to the State Legislature in 1834. He was defeated for Illinois Speaker of the House in 1838. He was defeated for the U. S. Congress in 1843. He was elected to U. S. Congress in 1846. He was defeated for U. S. Congress in 1848. He was defeated for the U. S. Senate in 1855. He was defeated for the Vice Presidential nomination in 1856. He was defeated for the U. S. Senate in 1858. He was elected President of the United States in 1860. His public life is testimony to the Norwegian proverb,

A hero is one who hangs on one second longer.”

We are glad he didn’t stop.

On October 29, 1941, then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visited his childhood school, Harrow, to hear the traditional songs he had sung there as a youth, as well as to speak to the students. Commenting on the difficult period the nation had just been through (the Battle for Britain and the London Blitz), Churchill ended his message with these memorable—and often-misquoted—words on persistence.

But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this period – I am address myself to to the School – surely from this period of ten months, this is the lesson: Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

The world is indifferent to our aspirations and good intentions. Our victories, such as they are, are partial and never complete. Progress is not inevitable. Success is never guaranteed.

Sooner or later, regardless of one’s talent or genius,

effective leadership comes down to plain,

old-fashioned, roll-up-your sleeves hard work

and perseverance, often in the face of failure.

In a world full of obstacles and opposition, suffering and setbacks, difficulty and delay, persistence carries the day. As 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon quipped,

By perseverance the snail reached the Ark.”

About the Author: Mark McCloskey

Mark is a graduate of Miami University (BA) and Bethel Seminary, Minnesota (MDiv). He earned his PhD at the University of South Florida in the College of Education, Department of Leadership Development. His focus of study was organizational leadership, adult education, and research and measurement.

Download this post

Power Of Priority Series: Leadership & Priorities

Mark McCloskey — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 15:39:23 +0000

British political philosopher Isaiah Berlin once described the perspective that public leaders bring to their responsibility to govern as the difference between the hedgehog and the fox.

The hedgehog knows one big thing. The fox knows many little things.”

Effective leaders take after the hedgehog in that they know the one big thing — or at least the very few things that really matter.

They understand the “physics” of personal focus—like the laser beam, the greater one’s focus the greater the energy released in service of valued ends. They embrace the wisdom of the German proverb,

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

Ineffective leaders, like the fox, know many little things and consequently lose their focus and diffuse their energy on inconsequential matters.

The late Peter Drucker noted,

I’ve seen a great many people who are exceedingly good at execution, but exceedingly poor at picking the important things. They are magnificent at getting unimportant things done. They have an impressive record of achievement on trivial matters.”

There is probably no better example of Drucker’s observation than the curious case of Gallienus, Emperor of Rome from 260-268 A. D. Gallienus was a man of many gifts, and great and various passions. But he lacked the personal focus and discipline that comes from having clear priorities. Historian Edward Gibbon described his term of governance

In every art that he attempted his lively genius enabled him to succeed; and, as his genius was destitute of judgment, he attempted every art, except the important ones of war and government. He was a master of several curious but useless sciences, a ready orator, and elegant poet, a skillful gardener, an excellent cook, and most contemptible prince.

Gallienus possessed every gift, except the “gift” of knowing one big thing. He was unable to focus his passion to serve what should have been his first priority—effectively governing the Roman Empire. Not surprisingly, Gallienus presided over a period of precipitous decline. His days were devoted to a jumbled amalgam of many inconsequential things, which, ironically, he pursued with great energy and some degree of success. Gallienus could have benefited from the warning of the later day Italian philosopher and New York Yankee Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra who said,

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up somewhere.”

The attention of Gallienus —or lack thereof— is a reminder that a keen sense of priority is a leadership necessity.

The one thing that that mattered most—governing well—was subservient to the many things that mattered least, at least for an Emperor—gardening, poetry and cooking. Ignoring his top priority, Gallienus squandered his passion and gifting in service of irrelevant and inconsequential pursuits.

Missionary pioneer and Nobel Peace Prize winner John R. Mott believed that when all was said and done, leadership was a matter of getting a few vital things done, while leaving the rest undone—not wasting precious attention on the “many little things.” In Mott’s words,

In any work abounding in pressing needs and great opportunities, we must make a study of priorities. We must plan the use of our time. No man can do:

a). all the good that needs to be done;

b). all that others want him to do;

c). all that he himself wants to do.”

Apart from clear priorities, a leader will not be able to determine where to best deploy his or her limited time and attention, they will fail to “move the needle” in the few areas that really matter.

They won’t know which opportunities to seize, and which problems to address. Like Gallienus, their gifts and energy will be squandered, and their days will degenerate into mishmash of fragmented and disconnected pursuits; a flurry of activity without progress in what really matters.

Today, take some time to ponder your priorities: do you take after the fox, or the hedgehog?

About the Author: Mark McCloskey

Download this post

Passion Series: Where Purpose Meets Virtuous Passion

Mark McCloskey — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 14:52:46 +0000

Purpose and Passion.

If purpose is the destination, passion is the fuel to get there. If purpose is the reason for living, passion is the energy released to live every day according to that purpose, even and especially in the face of suffering.

Passion is the expression of purpose as it captures our will, engages our emotions, and permeates our daily life.

Passion is compelling and intense volitional commitment, as well as driving emotional energy and unbounded enthusiasm released in vigorous and untiring pursuit of valued ends.

Nineteenth century American poet James Russell Lowell was one of a group of writers called the Fireside Poets or the Schoolroom Poets. This included the likes of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Lowell rubbed shoulders with these literary geniuses and had ample time to reflect on what made someone a giant in the field. He observed,

Talent is that which is in a man’s power; genius is that in whose power a man is.”

Substitute passion for genius and Lowell had it right. Passion is

that in whose power I am.”

Our greatest contributions in life are not measured by what we possess—our talents or gifts or interests—but by what possesses us—passion. While many things may interest us, only passion consumes us.

Passion as a Virtue. It is necessary to note that, like purpose, all passion is not created equal. Virtuous passion regulated by noble purpose must be differentiated from passion that has its roots in a damaged inner life. Emotional need and insecurity may generate self-destructive or self-serving passion. These bursts of energy and enthusiasm can be profoundly destructive, bordering on fanaticism.

Along these lines, I am reminded that the Apostles James and John were passionate men. Jesus noted this fact early on, assigning them the nickname the “Son’s of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). They possessed an unbridled passion that would later lead them to “judge first and ask questions later.” Luke reports this unfortunate incident.

And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him. And they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make arrangements for Him. And they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:51-56).

James and John didn’t lack of passion. But their passion was grounded in a self-serving purpose—they wanted Jesus to exert earthly power—destroy the village—and install an earthy Kingdom in Jerusalem, which would afford them significant status and the perks that went along with it (see Matthew 20:20-28).

Virtuous passion ignites us, launches us and sustains us through the great obstacles inherent in fulfilling a noble purpose.

This is decidedly not the same as the destructive emotional energy associated with fanaticism. Fanaticism is excessive and unlighted zeal. The fanatic is a narrow and obstinate person animated by self-centered concerns. James and John came dangerously close to the passion of a fanatic, not the passion released in followers of Jesus.