In the last two weeks I have been humbled by experiences that I hitherto thought I had in control. As the proverb says 'Experience is the best teacher', only that we all hope it is the experience of others we will learn from, not ours.
I want to be able to lead from my success rather than teach and direct from my failure. I have come to realise that in life, it is always better to allow your achievements speak for you, as you speak less. When you fail, you make a lot of noise...even with the best intentions, few will listen.
What is worse with failure is that while you learn from it and move on, others do not always seem to get over the fact that you failed. Anything else that you want to do, or tell them is now colored by, and first measured by your past failures. It will take a long time before they change their impression about you. And it is worse in Africa.
Many people dread attempting new 'risky' things because of their fear of failure. Or more appropriately, the society's intolerance for failure. In schools, students who fail are made to feel terrible for attempting and failing at a subject/project/course of study. But they in fact, should be celebrated. Those who truly failed are those who never attempted anything. And those who are overcome by failure are those who give up before they discover themselves -unlearning old bad habits- while attempting to learn the new subject or course or skill.
However, many will argue that experience is not the best teacher.
The story is told of an employee who made a business decision that cost his employers millions of dollars in losses. When the CEO was pressured to fire him, he objected. He called for the employee, and after reprimanding him, he told him to gear up to work harder because the company had just invested the lost millions in his education. And it was a very costly education!
That is a unique perspective to failure.
No one wants to fail. But it is in failing that we get to learn not only what works, but also what does not work. In Medicine, failure can result in a loss of life so the practice and the society generally frowns greatly at doctors who fail. It is simply unacceptable. So you will hear frequently that Medicine is conservative. But we only arrived here by trial and error.
Concerning Founders being able CEOs, Larry Page (the brain behind Google and the current CEO) was forced to step down as CEO for the more experienced and matured Eric Schmidt. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was also forced out of his company in the eighties, and he called it a bitter pill that the patient needed to swallow, and 'the best thing that ever happened to me'. But that was later on after he had learnt by experience.
In fact, when Sergey and Larry were shopping for a CEO (before hiring Schmidt), it was Steve Jobs that was their #1 choice.
I am learning a lot very fast. I am also forced to take the high, hard road, often. This is just the beginning. But I chose this path, and I must keep to it and follow it through to the end.
Successful entrepreneurship is actually successful Personal Entrepreneurship. The earlier we know ourselves for our business- whatever that is, the better for the business.
Why?!
Because the business will fail/die while we continue to live, and might even start another biz. But if we succeed, then the both the business and us get to stay alive.
My driving mission is to hear people say this in the immediate future: "Follow us on Twitter, Like our Facebook page, Add us on Linkedin, Join us on Instagram and 'credit us on Credicoins.'" Amen.
In closing, I found this last quote pix that has some truth to it. My only hope is that it does not come true for me. lol.
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