I can across a really stunning post on failure by Tony Morgan, “10 Reasons Why You’re Probably Going to Fail” that is really worth sharing, so here is Tony’s list…

10 Reasons Why You’re Probably Going to Fail

1. It’s not your passion. If it doesn’t make your heart beat fast or cause your mind to race when you’re trying to sleep, you’re probably doing the wrong thing.
2. You don’t have a plan. You need a vision, and you need to identify specific steps to make that vision become reality. That includes a financial plan. (I happen to believe you need direction from God on this.)
3. You’re waiting for it to be perfect. Test-drive it. Beta-test that new idea. You’ll fall into the trap of inaction if you think it has to be absolutely right from day one.
4. You’re not willing to work hard. Everything worth pursuing in my life has involved discipline and perseverance.
5. It’ll outgrow you. Keep learning. Keep growing. But more importantly, build a team of people including leaders that can be who you’re not.
6. You’ve had success in the past. I’ve watched organizations hang on to a good idea for too long. Time passes. Momentum fades. It’s risky to let go of the past and jump on the next wave.
7. You’re unwilling to stop doing something else. Complexity is easy. Simplicity takes discipline. You can’t build a healthy marriage if you’re unwilling to give up dating other women. Who/what do you need to stop dating?
8. You won’t build a team of friends. Anyone can hire from a resume. You need to find people you want to share life with. In the long run, great relationships will get you out of bed in the morning.
9. You won’t have the tough conversations. When breakdown happens (and it always does), someone needs to put on their big-boy pants and initiate the difficult conversation that leads to relational healing.
10. You’re afraid of failure. When fear consumes you, it will cause you to do stupid things. You’ll let negativity distract you. You’ll embrace the known, and grow comfortable with mediocrity. The more often you fail, though, the more often you’ll find success.

Tony writes a great blog, worth reading. This is a really great list to work through when embarking on a new and challenging initiative. Any thoughts on what may be missing from this list?

Related posts:

1. Three Reasons Why Good Strategies Fail: Execution, Execution…
2. 5 Reasons CEO’s Get Fired
3. Study Reveals Where Americans Fail at Setting, Achieving New Year’s Goals

Photo by LifeSupercharger

More and more I am realising the importance of perseverance to effective leadership. There are so many different obstacles and barriers to attaining our vision and purpose in the world today that without perseverance we will fail to make a meaningful difference in the world. Perseverance is what’s requires to face failure and then to get up again to fight another day. Douglas MacMillan in his article “Why Failures Can Be Such Success Stories” finds that…

“To err is human. But to persevere is a feat that often separates the successful from the mediocre…. In business—as in sports, politics, and the arts—many of the greatest and most influential leaders share a history of failure. Automaker Henry Ford and animator Walt Disney both stumbled badly with early business ventures. Early in his career with General Electric (GE), Jack Welch caused an explosion that blew the roof off a building. Not long after taking Apple Computer (AAPL) public, founder Steve Jobs was ousted by the very man he recruited to lead the company.

Psychologists say it’s not simply the fact that these people learned from mistakes that led to eventual success. It’s also the resilience they displayed in getting past those potholes. Failure can be “informative rather than demoralizing. It tells you what you may need to do to make it,” says Albert Bandura, the Stanford psychology professor who in the 1970s pioneered the social cognitive theory of self-efficacy—an inner belief in one’s ability to succeed.”

As you’re faced with the weeks and months ahead make a decision to persevere, to never give up on your vision, to never settle for second best, make the decision to press forwards, to  be determined to overcome and archive your purposes. Make a decision to believe in yourself, to believe that you can do what you set your mind to, that despite setback, you will get back up and continue. It’s that fact that you fail, which makes you a failure. It’s when you stay down, it’s when you decide not to get up to try again…… that’s what makes you a failure!

It’s settled then…..

Quitting is not an option!

Related posts:

1. How Successful People Stay Successful
2. Learning from Successful Leaders