It’s a fact. More people rise from failure than survive success. That’s because it is more difficult to survive success than failure.

Fail and it is over. No one expects more of you. You worked hard, did all the things you were supposed to do to be successful, but failed. Big deal. It happens all the time and there are many who will commiserate with you; if only because your success would have embarrassed them.

On the other hand, when you succeed you become different from the rest and you have to live with that success alone. With success you step out from the crowd and accomplish what many talk about but few do. That is all well and good, but it is important to recognize that merely achieving success is not the end of the story. You’ll be confronted with constant challenges to maintain that success,  and you will be on your own to meet them.

When Winning is not Enough

Traditionally we are taught the skills that will enable us to achieve success, but rarely are we taught the skills needed to maintain success. To survive success the first thing we have to understand is that success is a not a sign that we are at the end of the road, but that we are on the right road. Many who were passionately dedicated to achieving success fail to apply that same dedication to maintaining that favorable outcome. Most do not appreciate that the secret to nourishing success is to keep alive the burning desire they had to attain it.

Success is not static. How it is realized and, even more importantly, how it is preserved is constantly shifting formula. Success begins to slip away when we stop doing the things that made us successful in the first place. Chances are high that when an individual achieves remarkable levels of success they did so as a result of a unique spirit that triggered a focused vision, passion, dedication and effort, combined with a willingness to risk failure.

It is this distinctive spirit that drives, fosters, feeds and fuels a yearning for achievement. However, this “spirit of success” is fragile and will exist within us for only so long as we allow it to exist. To maintain success we must nurture and keep alive the very élan that made our success possible. If we fail to do that, not only will the spirit that drove our success break down, but the success we have achieved will begin to slip away and that will be the real failure.

What it Takes to Survive Success

For those who have achieved success and want to sustain it, there are two mindsets to adopt that will help avoid losing the grip on success.

• When we started out to be successful we had to do so in the face of potential of failure. If we had been afraid to lose we would have never played the game. We moved forward because we overcame the fear of failure. The same dynamic can impact us in a negative way once success is attained, because we will begin to lose our success when we begin to be afraid to lose.
• We have the potential to sustain – even enhance – our success so long as we are never content with the success that has been won.

Look at it this way. If the only objective is to avoid failure, this attitude may actually induce failure since it seeks only to maintain the status quo of the success already attained. The only option for sustaining the success we have achieved is a constant, concentrated, passionate quest to challenge complacency and strive for more success. The commitment to win even more success with refreshed dedication, rather than posturing to preserve, is the best antidote for the complacency that can often be triggered by success.

The chief reason people stop learning is the assumption that they know all there is to know; the chief threat to sustaining success is the assumption that one has done all that can be done. Success begets success when we never accept the status quo of success – especially our own.

Getting There From Here

In the end, those who have the best chance to sustain success are those who see success as something to build on – not rest on. Success becomes a nagging voice in the back of their mind that reminds them how difficult it was to achieve and how much will be lost unless they continue to do the things that will allow them to come out on top again and again in the future. The truth is that if we do not view the success we have achieved as a steppingstone to future success, it can become our tombstone of failure.

The post Fighting Off Failure Brought On By Success appeared first on Entrepreneurial 180.

Success is the anticipated reward for hard work and commitment to achieving an objective, but many are convinced – or at least want to be – that success is the result of chance rather than choice. Those who fail to achieve success often account for their failure by rationalizing that the success of others is due to a “lucky break.” They equate the random luck of winning the lottery with how most people win success. In their mind, failure to be successful is not their fault; they just were not as lucky as those who are successful.

Likewise, there is an intriguing reaction to success that comes from some of those who achieve it. Some see success as if it is the end of the road, when it is really only a sign that they are on the right road. Others reach a certain level of success and then begin to concentrate on enjoying the material rewards. They don’t understand that real success is determined by what is achieved, not what is received. And then there are those who, once they attain success, forget what it took to get there, and begin to act as if its continuance is preordained.

These attitudes about success contribute to the reality that more people rebound from failure than survive success. What many fail to grasp is that, as difficult as it may be to attain success, it is even more challenging to retain it. That’s because success has a way of cooling the passion and blunting the drive to achieve it.

Some Are Consistently More “Lucky” Than Others

Folklore supports the “lucky break” justification for failure by often highlighting the “overnight success” that is seemingly arbitrarily bestowed on the chosen few; it’s as if they had no part in the success —they just got lucky. Yet, when you go behind the scenes, you discover there is much more to the achievement. While there may have been a dollop of luck to be in the right place at the right time, the truth is that these individuals had toiled for years learning their craft and preparing themselves to be in the right place at the right time to achieve success. That instant success may be a surprise to others, but not to them.

In 1942, a middle-aged colonel, who had spent 27 years in the Army, but not one minute in battle, was selected over nearly 400 senior officers to lead U.S. forces in the war against Germany. (His immediate promotion to four-star general was the single biggest jump in rank in the history of the Army.) To say there was an army of naysayers carping about this decision would be an understatement. Those officers who were passed over and did not get the job claimed he was just lucky to have caught the eye of the Army and political leaders in Washington. The reality is that this obscure colonel had spent 27 years in the Army developing an intimate knowledge of military strategy and honing a remarkable talent for organizational ability and consensus-building. This “lucky guy” went on to serve as Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and after the war was elected to serve two terms as President of the United States.

When Dwight Eisenhower was once asked how he was able to emerge from almost 30 years of obscurity in the Army to, almost instantly, become one of the towering figures of the 20th century, he remarked, “I knew that eventually opportunity would come my way and worked hard to be prepared when it did.” Eisenhower was probably the least surprised by his success, because he made himself the most prepared to be successful.

And that’s the point. If we win the lottery, we should be surprised, because we had no control over the outcome. Winning a lottery is a random happening that is not likely to be repeated. But we should never be surprised by our success, because we can plan and control the outcome. If we are surprised by our success, it means we did not plan for it. And if that’s the case, the chances are that our success will be a random event that is not likely to be sustained. If Eisenhower had not been prepared when opportunity came his way, no amount of luck would have allowed him to be successful.

It is certainly not on the level of an Eisenhower, but in my own career I have experienced firsthand the “just lucky” attitude about success.

When the company I helped found – Life USA – overcame high odds and the multitudes of skeptics to become the success story of the life insurance industry, I lost count of the number of people who came up to me and asked, “Aren’t you surprised by the success of LifeUSA?” My answer was always the same, “No! My only surprise is that it did not happen sooner.”

For many, my response may have seemed arrogant, but only because most people are surprised when they see others become successful. That’s because they see success as a random happenstance and that others were lucky to be in the way when it came by. The doubters assume that those who attain success must be surprised by it, because they certainly would be.

And yet, isn’t it interesting that these same individuals are not surprised – and maybe in a perverse way are happy – when they see failure? The failure of others gives many a place to hide from their own failure. The point is that when you prepare to be successful – rather than just hope for it – you are more likely to achieve it. And when you do achieve it, you are not surprised; nor should you be.

The post Be Surprised if You Win the Lottery—But Not by Your Success appeared first on Entrepreneurial 180.

We all know the great modern-day entrepreneurial business mavericks such as Steve Jobs (Apple), Fred Smith (FedEx) Richard Branson (Virgin) and Bill Gates (Microsoft), but there are other business mavericks who toil unknown and often unappreciated in companies all across America. These unknown mavericks perform one very important function: They fight the urge of many in business to “stand-pat” with what has already been accomplished.

Despite resistance from those they try to help, these business mavericks are often the difference between success and failure of the company they work for. These are mavericks who, rather than create their own organization, make the organization they work in better because they refuse to be stifled by the organization.

What is amazing is that these business mavericks persist in a culture that values uniformity over uniqueness. Those in the business world who are content with the present see the maverick as a threat and respond by depicting these independent-minded individuals as malcontents. Thus the corporate business maverick is often treated as an outcast, filled with ridicule, rejection, recrimination and aloneness.

Yet, they stubbornly persist. There is something in their DNA that will not allow them to go along to get along. And whether they recognize it or not, the companies these mavericks work for are better because of them.

Sure, the vicissitudes of the corporate maverick can cause them to be an irritant, difficult to control and obstreperous. But instead of scorning them, businesses should encourage and regale the maverick within its ranks, because they drive change and innovation when it is most often needed, but goes unrecognized.

Sadly, change and innovation are often viewed as unwelcome visitors to those set in their ways and comfortable with the status quo. Nevertheless, the maverick plays a vital role in any organization, even if it is only to make others uncomfortable with the way things are.

Maverick Under the Microscope

A willingness to be out front and alone can be fun and even rewarding for the maverick. Certainly more fun than screwing the screw the same way everyone else does. But it does demand a particular psyche and different genetic makeup to be a maverick. Here’s what to look for.

For starters, mavericks have relentless curiosity. Have you noticed that in most corporate cultures, people may ask “how,” but rarely do they ask “why?” The maverick is rarely concerned about how things are done, but always want to know why they are being done. They are not willing to accept what has been for what could be.

The maverick has a compelling drive to look at the world through a kaleidoscope, rather than a microscope. This translates into an openness to try new things and do old things in new ways. Mavericks by nature question and challenge established procedures and mores. They at least want to explore new ideas and test their value.

But even that is not enough for the maverick. They know that thinking about a new idea is just a start; it needs nurturing and support. They understand the true value of an idea resides in its implementation. That is why the maverick is often irritatingly incessant in pushing for the exploration and testing of new ideas. As management expert Peter Drucker wrote, “Ideas are cheap and abundant. What is of value is the effective placement of these ideas into situations that develop into action.” Doing so is a key value of the maverick.

Despite often being ostracized by the keepers of the status quo, the maverick is not always a loner. In fact, by encouraging and exciting others to be more open in their thinking and acting, they can become true leaders. Most mavericks don’t put up with the heat of being different for their own benefit; they want things better for everyone.

Why Not More Mavericks?

If mavericks are so important to progress, why are there not more of them? After all, on the surface, being a maverick doesn’t require any special skills. You don’t have to have an MBA from an Ivy League school (actually that is probably more hindrance than help) or any other specialized training. The answer? We’ve got a defensive mechanism that learns early on to suppress the maverick mentality within us.

This mechanism to accept and conform starts at a young age. Children commonly exhibit the maverick’s inclination to question why things are done the way they are. As soon as children begin to talk they incessantly ask the irritating question, “Why?” And most often parents answer with, “Because that’s the way it is.” Schools only exacerbate the pressure on nascent mavericks. The educational system is based upon the pedagogy of answering questions, not asking them. Students are rewarded for the proper rote playback of answers, not for the ability to question the reasons for the answers or the assumptions behind the questions. The pressure is to “go along to get along.” Not surprisingly, most buckle under the pressure. By the time the student escapes the educational system and enters the business world, any tendency to think or act like a maverick has been exorcised as if it were a troublesome evil spirit.

And the Moral of the Story …

In the business world the connotation of a “maverick” is a negative one. To be a maverick is to be chastised as not being a “team player” and portrayed as a malcontent who is never happy with the way things are. In most corporate cultures the maverick must accept the enmity of the leadership because they are seen more as a threat to the present than a catalyst for the future. What is so sadly ironic in this situation is that the organizations most in need of the value that a maverick can bring are the ones most opposed to accepting a maverick in their presence.

The life of a maverick in the typical business environment is not easy, but it is a lot more fun and exciting than simply going along to get along. What is most rewarding for the maverick is when those who were most opposed to their ideas begin to copy and adopt them as is they were their own.

The post Business Mavericks – Demented, Dysfunctional and Indispensable appeared first on Entrepreneurial 180.

from “If You’re Not Making History, You Are History” by Bob MacDonald

THOSE WHO ACHIEVE SUCCESS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON – THEY HAVE THE ATTITUDE THAT IT IS BETTER TO FAIL THAN TO GIVE UP AND QUIT.

There is an interesting dynamic that occurs when someone proposes a new idea, a concept for a better way of doing things or a plan for a new business venture. The nearly universal reaction to any of these proposals is negative. Everyone seems to be at the ready to offer all the reasons why the new idea, process or business venture is wrong or will fail. This type of negative reaction to something new or different can dampen the spirits of even the most optimistic person. But it is how the individual reacts to this negative environment that either kills the proposal or brings it to life.

There are a number of reasons why many people tend to be negative toward new ideas or concepts. First off, since they didn’t think of the new idea, they may not understand it. Often, they fail to recognize the need for something new. And if things seem to be working well, why would you want to change them? Lastly, many believe that since the vast majority of new businesses will fail anyway, why take the risk to do something that is likely to fail?

Those who are successful and make history in this type of negative environment are those who don’t give up—they persevere. And it’s not just that they keep trying to be successful, it’s that they can’t stop trying to succeed. They become oblivious to the negativity and press on until there is nothing more that can be done and they either succeed or fail. Their mentality is that it is better to fail than it is to give up and quit. They passionately believe that success is out there to be captured and if they have not found it yet, it is because they have not been looking in the right place, so they just keep looking.

The list of well-known individuals whose early careers were filled with rejection and failure, but simply persevered until they became successful is long and enlightening. Einstein, Henry Ford, Harland “Colonel” Sanders, Walt Disney, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln and scores of others are all people we equate with exceptional success and even though their triumphs were in different fields, they all had one thing in common – they persevered against rejection and failure.

The quintessential example of perseverance was arguably Thomas Edison. Early life failures for Edison were legendary. Expelled from virtually every school he attended for being “unteachable,” Edison went on to be fired from almost every job he ever held. But Edison had one passion – inventing. No matter how many rejections received or failures experienced, he was never discouraged or dissuaded from seeking the next invention. In the end, Edison was granted more patents – 1093 – than any other individual. Not all these were memorable, but when you take into account that some of them included the light bulb, the alkaline battery, the electrical grid and the phonograph, it shows what perseverance can lead to.

The ability to persevere not only depends on the ability to put up with a negative environment for an extended period of time, but also the ability to educate and convert others to the new ideas.

When I joined with a small group to start a new life insurance company – LifeUSA – there was an abundance of naysayers. Not only was there near-unanimous negativity to the very idea of starting a new life insurance company, there was even more vociferous rejection of the LifeUSA concept of employee and agent ownership, the focus on annuity products to reward people for living, rather than dying, and the idea of competing against rather than with other insurance companies.

The founders of LifeUSA lived in a negative world from the get-go. Yet we believed in our ideas and persevered. To be successful required us to win over others with the idea that there was opportunity for a new life insurance company. We had to convince others that taking ownership in a new company was better than taking a job with an old company. Agents used to selling the old products had to be persuaded that the new products were better than the old and then taught how to sell them. These were not easy tasks and efforts to do so were constantly greeted with a pessimistic reaction. But we persevered. We did so by adopting a very simple attitude toward rejection. When our ideas were presented and then rejected, we simply said, “Next.” We firmly believed that if we kept moving forward presenting our ideas to the next person, we would ultimately prevail. We were so convinced that our ideas were right and the old ideas were wrong, we could not be deterred by negativity. And in the end, our perseverance was rewarded.

Perseverance Does More Than Help You Succeed

When you are willing to preserve in the headwind of negativity it focuses your mind on the goal even more and provides a type of perverse drive that increases your motivation to prove that others are wrong. When those you have enlisted in your effort to be successful see that no matter how difficult and negative the times may be that you won’t quit and persevere till the end, it builds trust and respect that motivates them to persevere as well. When you have the will to persevere – even to the very end – it reinforces your focus on the goal and helps you understand that success will be determined by what you do, not what others say.

The lesson is simple: Success does not come easily, but it will not come at all unless you are willing to preserve in your desire and effort to find it.

The post Perseverance is the Secret to Success appeared first on Entrepreneurial 180.