At age 14, Bobby Jones was considered the greatest golfing prospect in the world. At age 21, he was considered the greatest disappointment in the history of the sport. At age 28, he was considered the greatest that had ever played the game. These fourteen years were dubbed by Atlanta newspaper man O. B. Keeler “Seven lean years and seven fat years,” and defined in startling relief the power of determination in fulfilling a person’s potential.
The accomplishments of George Washington Carver are legendary: resident horticulturalist for almost 50 years at Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute; the man who single-handedly revived the Southern economy with his hundreds of inventions utilizing peanuts, soybeans, pecans, and sweet potatoes; inventor of the practice of crop rotation for replenishing soil nutrients; receiver of accolades and awards from US presidents, benevolent societies, and fellow inventors like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
The road to success is always uphill. It’s a fact. Booker T Washington said, “Success isn’t measured by the position you reach in life; it’s measured by the obstacles you overcome.” Learning how to enjoy the journey means we must learn to learn how to deal with discouragement. Failure isn’t permanent unless it was our last attempt. It’s a choice.
We are all nervous or fearful at times. This is as true of those who become legends in business and sports as it is of those who become footnotes in history. Fear is real. We must recognize it exists before we can conquer it. Norman Vincent Peal suggests these words as a first step in conquering our fears: “I can get rid of fear.” David J Schwartz, in The Magic of Thinking Big, states, “Action cures fear. Isolate your fear and take constructive action.”
It’s important to learn how to attract people. People repelling seems to come to naturally to some people. Lucy from the Charles Schulz’ Peanuts comic strip specialized in making others feel insignificant. Lucy once said to Charlie Brown, “You are in the shadow of your own goal posts!
Even the Lone Ranger wasn’t “alone.” His skilled and valuable companion, Tonto, usually saved the day.
John Maxwell reminds us that even Albert Einstein who revolutionized how we view the world with his theory of relativity, understood the debt he owed to others. Einstein said, “Many times a day I realize how much my own outer and innter life is built upon the labor of my fellow men, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.” Being thankful is an attractive personal quality.
New York Yankees manger Casey Stengel gave this advice to then rookie manager, Billy Martin. Martin remembers, “Casey said there would be fifteen players on your team who will run through a wall for you, five who will hate you, and five who are undecided.
Many people want to climb the corporate ladder because they believe freedom and power are the prizes awaiting them on the top. What they don’t realize is that the true nature of leadership is really sacrifice.
Leadership requires flexible faith. In his book Beyond Jabez, author Bruce Wilkinson recommends accepting service opportunities that stretch our faith.
Step one in an effective leadership development process is to develop yourself inwardly. First lead yourself. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King.
I am convinced that my life belongs to the whole community; and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can, for the harder I work the more I live.
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At age 14, Bobby Jones was considered the greatest golfing prospect in the world. At age 21, he was considered the greatest disappointment in the history of the sport. At age 28, he was considered the greatest that had ever played the game. These fourteen years were dubbed by Atlanta newspaper man O. B. Keeler “Seven lean years and seven fat years,” and defined in startling relief the power of determination in fulfilling a person’s potential.
The accomplishments of George Washington Carver are legendary: resident horticulturalist for almost 50 years at Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute; the man who single-handedly revived the Southern economy with his hundreds of inventions utilizing peanuts, soybeans, pecans, and sweet potatoes; inventor of the practice of crop rotation for replenishing soil nutrients; receiver of accolades and awards from US presidents, benevolent societies, and fellow inventors like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison.
Fail More Frequently!
