This section, and chapter in the book, is about the “other side of the coin called failing”. How to “avoid” success? How to get over what´s in your way?
Use the commentator-field (if your comment does not get published instantly, just wait for a while, in worst case even a day or so…spam-filters are not that perfect, yet, I ´m not able to be behind the curtain fixing all that when I´m sleeping).
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Stop Nobody Move 
Story Two, Do it anyway
The Disney movie https://movies.disney.com/mcfarland-usa, McFarland, USA tells the true story, of what would seem to be just a typical high school cross-country team. However, what sets this team apart is how its coach and leader focus on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the team, embracing uncertainty, and redefining success. The plot follows Coach Jim White, an ex-football coach, trying to start a cross-country team at McFarland High. Moving to a new environment with limited resources, he sees the potential in the students, something that they need to see in themselves. He sees their potential for running cross-country, but also thier capacity for taking on new challenges. The team goes on to win the state championship as a result of its focus, unconventional methods, and dedication. So, despite its limited resources and experience, the team succeeds. As with any new entrepreneurial venture, the start is the hardest part. From spotting an untapped potential to overcoming challenges faced in competitive environments, McFarland, USA, embodies the idea of just committing oneself as a team, diving in, and trying something out. By focusing on what truly matters — the unique skill in his runners — Jim White pursued success by never giving up despite the odds.
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Hey Hailey,
This McFarland, USA tale is truly inspiring! Entrepreneurs can glean motivation from Coach Jim White’s knack for turning limitations into strengths. It underscores the value of learning from challenges, demonstrating that navigating obstacles can pave the way for triumph.
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Story Three, Believing in yourself
Believing in yourself (possible box title, be positioned in the chapter “Ideas” or “Success”)
Michael Edwards, the inspiration for the movie Eddie the Eagle https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/feb/23/eddie-the-eagle-review-plucky-no-hope-ski-jumper-melts-hearts, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit. He was an unconventional Olympic hopeful whose journey to the 1988 Winter Olympics as a ski jumper made headlines. It was not because he was the best but because he inspired people with his unwavering commitment and embodiment of the Olympic spirit. His unorthodox approach, firm belief, and focus are models for every aspiring entrepreneur as they face skeptics and repeated challenges. He believed in himself when no one else did. His dreams were far-fetched, like those of many entrepreneurs. However, his aspiration to bring Olympic glory to Britain drove him forward. He found his niche and made a significant impact. Like the bootstrap mentality of many entrepreneurs, he retained his ability to be hopeful and believe in self despite the challenges. It shows that an entrepreneur’s true talent is their drive and commitment to reaching their goal.
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Did not know about this story, it is very motivating!
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“Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” —— Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is a media mogul, television host, and philanthropist who faced numerous challenges early in her career.
In the early 1980s, Oprah moved to Chicago to host a local talk show called “People Are Talking.” Unfortunately, the show did not perform well, and Oprah was eventually fired. This setback could have been a major blow to her career, but Oprah used it as a learning experience. Soon after, she was given the opportunity to host a morning talk show in Chicago called “A.M. Chicago.” This turned out to be a turning point in her career, as the show quickly gained popularity and eventually became “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Her ability to connect with the audience and discuss real issues catapulted her to national fame.
Oprah’s story teaches us the importance of resilience and learning from failure. Instead of letting a setback define her, she used it as an opportunity to grow and improve. Her willingness to adapt, combined with her authenticity and relatability, contributed to her immense success in the media industry.
Reference: https://failwise.co/articles/v/how-oprah-winfrey-overcomes-the-failure
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I found this story suitable for both the ‘failure’ section and the ‘success’ section, as learning from feedback is the way to improve.
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This story is really motivating! Entrepreneurs can draw inspiration from Oprah’s ability to turn challenges into opportunities, emphasizing the importance of learning from failures and using them as stepping stones toward eventual success.
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Usain Bolt: Did he deprive us from seeing the limits of human capabilities?
Usain Bolt, widely recognized as the fastest man on the planet for almost 16 years now, set a remarkable 100m record of 9.58 seconds. As incredible as it might sound, there are still fans who feel let down by the sprinter. They lament not seeing the best of him, and by extension, the limits of human capabilities. Some feel that due to his slow starts, he left potential world records unbroken, as he did not push himself to the brink throughout the dash even when he ended up faster than any human ever.
In Bolt’s defense, he set himself apart by relying on superior skills, astute competition analysis and careful consideration of track conditions rather than pushing him to the limits. This distinctive approach sets him apart other champions who often needed to achieve extraordinary feats to break records. Although fans did not get to witness record getting smashed each time Bolt took to the tracks, his strategy has worked in solidifying his enduring legacy.
While there will always be advocates for putting maximum effort in every attempt, it is crucial to recognize the importance of strategic victories. Crafting a successful entrepreneurial game plan requires dynamic adjustments taking into account the current landscape, market conditions, competition, and prevailing market factors. Success shouldn’t solely hinge on the strength of your product offerings; rather its strategic to integrate smart work alongside hard work.
https://www.run3d.co.uk/news/how-does-usain-bolt-run-so-fast
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/trackandfield/usain-bolt-track-worlds-retirement-1.4235874
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Thanks. How interesting. Did not know that Bolt was considered a slow starter. You know more about it? Could it even be so that he had good reasons for being slow at the start?
It is easy to have ideas on how “instead” should do something, particularly if we “cut down a big achievement in parts”. But then we forget that an achievement also is a “whole” that has to function. I mean; if we would suggest him to put maximum effort already at the start, would he them perhaps not have been that fast a bit later on? I just don´t know, but your story made me curious of getting to know more. Has for instance himself given a strong reason for the defense of him starting off slow, and what defense could it then have been?
Your story also make me think about another story in the book (the one about Van Deer Pool, his published training program). In that program he himself defend why “eating chips and drinking beer at weekends” with the argument “If not, I would not be able to train as hard as I do during Monday-Friday. Adding to that; he claim (and he probably is right) that to him it actually took him years to fine tune his own training-program (all parts must be as perfect as possible, the the whole of it also have to be perfect). So, easy for us to say “stop eating chips and drinking beer on Saturday”, but perhaps if he did; no future wins.
Heading back to Bolt: He is probably a smart person, at least a person that have been thinking a lot by himself about “how to start”. He is probably also very well aware of the fact that he might have been a slow starter. Then why did he not try to become a faster starter? My guess; he has a well-thought-thru reason (one that analysts just don´t have tried to figure out). And what could that reason then be?
Sometimes breaking down a problem into small parts, could actually be the totally wrong way to solve a problem. Sometimes the total opposite could be the best way to solve a problem, getting distance to it, making it into even “bigger wholes” than the one we already work on. Perhaps just not that fun for analysts to do, more fun for them to complain on his slow start instead maybe. 😉
You know more Bolt being a slow starter that you could share?
/Henrik Blomgren
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Jim Abbott, a former MLB pitcher, was born without a right hand, but that did not stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a professional baseball player.
Abbott’s journey to success began at the University of Michigan, where he became an outstanding pitcher despite his physical challenge. In 1987, he won the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. Shortly afterward, he joined the United States baseball team for the 1988 Summer Olympics demonstration event and won a gold medal.
However, Abbott’s most remarkable achievement came in the MLB. He was drafted by the California Angels in 1988 and made his debut in 1989. What made Abbott’s story even more impressive was that he played in the major leagues for over a decade, facing some of the best hitters in the world, all while overcoming the limitations imposed by his physical condition.
Abbott’s success on the baseball field was not just about his athletic abilities, but also about his resilience, determination, and belief in himself. He defied expectations and proved that with the right mindset and dedication, one can overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges to achieve greatness.
Bibliography:
https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-abbott/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abbott
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Thank you Daniele for sharing with us this truly exceptional tale! It’s well known that even getting an opportunity to play in MLB requires really an exceptional level of talent and abilities, but achieving that despite his disabilities makes Abbott’s accomplishments even more remarkable and awe inspiring.
One can draw inspiration from him in every walk of life, but it really appeals to Entrepreneurs who probably face adverse situations at far frequent rate than other careers, as success is short lived in this field. It teaches us to never let adversity and limitations define our story, and to always find a way to surmount challenges on the way to victory.
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The Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan incident in figure skating is a real-life story that encapsulates failure and its consequences in sports. Leading up to the 1994 Winter Olympics, Tonya Harding’s ex-husband orchestrated an attack on her competitor, Nancy Kerrigan, with the aim of eliminating Kerrigan from the competition.
The attack was an unfortunate and unethical attempt to secure Harding’s position in the Olympic team. However, the plan failed to achieve its goal. While Kerrigan was temporarily incapacitated, she recovered in time for the Olympics. Harding, on the other hand, faced severe consequences. Despite her skating abilities, the incident led to Harding being implicated in the attack, and she ultimately received a lifetime ban from competitive figure skating.
This real-life story underscores the consequences of resorting to unethical and illegal means to gain a competitive edge. It serves as a cautionary tale about the potential fallout of making choices that compromise integrity and fair play in the pursuit of success in sports. The Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan incident remains a significant chapter in sports history, reminding athletes and the sports community about the importance of sportsmanship and ethical conduct.
In essence, the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan incident serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting that success achieved through dishonest means is short-lived and often leads to more significant failures. The story underscores the enduring value of integrity, fair play, and sportsmanship in the realm of sports.
But If you are interested to see Tonya’s perspective go see Margot Robbie’s I,Tonya
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This story reminds me of the Watergate incident. In a sense, causing the failure of an opponent can indeed ensure one’s own success, but this is not a sustainable strategy. Perhaps, instead of wasting resources suppressing opponents, enhancing one’s own competitiveness is a more efficient approach.
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Lionel Messi’s journey to success is marked by his extraordinary talent and an unyielding determination to overcome challenges. Born in Rosario, Argentina, Messi faced a significant obstacle early in life: a growth hormone deficiency that threatened his development as a footballer. Despite this, his exceptional skills caught the eye of FC Barcelona, who offered to pay for his medical treatment if he moved to Spain.
Relocating to a new country at a young age, Messi had to adapt to a different culture and language, all while dealing with his medical condition. His transition was not easy, but his passion for football kept him focused. At Barcelona’s famed youth academy, La Masia, Messi honed his skills, developing into a player with extraordinary dribbling ability, vision, and scoring prowess. Breaking into Barcelona’s first team as a teenager, Messi faced the challenge of proving himself in one of the world’s most competitive leagues. His response was nothing short of remarkable. Messi’s playing style, characterized by a low center of gravity, incredible balance, and close ball control, allowed him to dominate matches, leading Barcelona to numerous titles.
Throughout his career, Messi faced various adversities, including injuries and high expectations as one of the world’s best players. Despite these pressures, he consistently performed at an elite level, earning multiple Ballon d’Or awards and setting numerous records. Messi’s journey is a testament to his resilience, talent, and dedication. From a young boy with a health challenge in Argentina to one of football’s greatest ever, Messi’s story inspires many, showcasing how passion and perseverance can lead to extraordinary achievements.
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I am surprised I wasn’t aware of this aspect of Messi’s life. Thanks for sharing it.
It is remarkable how we tend to just see shiny and glamorous side of the ‘gifted’ geniuses and think that they are just born with effortless talent, but in doing so, totally miss to appreciate the long struggles and decades of continued hard work it takes them to overcoming adversity.
Such lessons fit well in the Entrepreneurial scene where overcoming extreme challenges and adversity is something that’s almost a common ingredient to all extraordinary and great ventures. One just have to look under the surface of all the glitter and glamour of success.
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Liu Changchun is an athlete of great historical importance in China, known as the “Father of Modern Chinese Sports.” His most notable achievement is being the first athlete to represent China in the modern Olympic Games. Participating in the men’s sprint events at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Liu marked China’s official entry onto the international Olympic stage.
Liu’s athletic career was deeply impacted by the war and political environment of the time. In the 1930s, China was in a state of turmoil, with Japanese aggression and internal political struggles leading to widespread social and economic hardship. The Chinese government was unable to provide funding for Liu’s training and Olympic participation, and he also had to avoid arrest by the Manchukuo government. Ultimately, he was the only athlete to make it to Los Angeles, relying on the assistance of friends. Liu’s participation was more than a personal triumph; it was a milestone in the history of Chinese sports. Despite not winning a medal, his spirit and contributions to Chinese sports have made him a significant figure.
Failure is not something to fear; what’s truly frightening is the lack of courage to try. Success in any endeavor, including business, requires more than just good ideas or support from all sides; the determination to take decisive action is equally important. Do we have the courage to expend everything we have, overcome all obstacles, to achieve what might be considered a failure in the traditional sense, but success in another?
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athletes in women’s figure skating, especially around Eteri Tutberidze, a well-known coach. She has coached many successful figure skaters, absolutely dominating the international scene, at least before Russian figure skaters were banned from international competitions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. So, why is this woman so controversial? Over the years fans have noticed a phenomenon that they dubbed the “Eteri Expiration Date”, as they noticed that her athletes would almost always retire by the time they reached the age of seventeen. Many of her skaters reached incredible heights at a very young age, such as Alina Zagitova who won the 2018 Olympics at only 16 years old. There are reasons why these skaters shine bright at such a young age and then burn out so quickly: Tutberidzes training methods. Many of her athletes get injured often (likely due to overtraining) and are commonly forced to skate on these injuries, making them even worse. She also requires the girls to maintain a very low bodyweight to achieve higher jumps, instead of building up muscles to lift them in the air. Additionally, they attempt to delay puberty by this low body weight or even taking puberty blockers, to make the grls more aerodynamic while jumping. Once the girls do go through puberty their technique falls apart and they start to become worse skaters, because they where taught technique thatdon’t wokr for them anymore. Despite their early success the way they were being trained was not sustainable, leading to an incredibly early retirement. Often they are left with serious permanent health issues due to their injuries and many struggle with eating disorders.
https://www.thecut.com/2022/02/eteri-tutberidze-figure-skatings-abuses-in-plain-sight.html
This can be an important lesson, sometimes growing slower but in a way that is sustainable in the long run can be better than growing quickly and then falling apart just as quickly. You can do things wrong and be successful for a short time or do them right and have a longer success, even if it comes later.
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This story clearly highlights sustainability issues within entrepreneurship, which can be applied on a business, as well as a personal level. From the perspective of your venture you could ask yourself whether the choices made form a stable support, or a house of cards, threatening to tumble at the slightest disturbance. From the perspective of the individual, you can ask yourself if the benefits from putting in the extra 20% now will outweigh the burnout looming overhead. Very interesting story!
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Story number 1: Khabib
Khabib Nurmagomedov was a MMA fighter in the UFC. His record was 29-0 this means that he was undefeated throughout his professional MMA carrier. Khabib is from Dagestan Russia which is situated in the mountains. Khabib is consired as one of the greatest MMA fighters to ever touch the sport.
Khabib was not always the brightest he worked tirelessly in order to become the best as this was his fathers wish. Khabib had brothers that were better than him at everything however he did not let himself be stoppped by this. Khabibs father sadly passed away late into Khabibs career and this led Khabib to ultimately quit as an MMA fighter. This shows that Khabibs main motivation was his father and his father only.
This goes to show that you can use someone elses motivational power as your own.
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Story Nr2
Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira is a MMA fighter that currently fights for the UFC promotion. He was a former two-division kick boxing champion in one of the biggest kick boxing promotions. Alex Pereira started fighting as a kick boxer at first at the age 22 this means that he was very late to start training any form of martial arts.
Alex Pereira is now a two time champion in the UFC. Alex Pereira worked at a tire changing workshop in Brazil before taking up martial arts. He really had nothing going for him except for making it out of the favelas of Brazil. Alcoholism had plagued Pereira for many years However, he did not let this stop from reaching the top.
He made it out of the favelas through hard training and dedication even tho he started when he was 22 years which is considered quite old to start on MMA.This story shows that you can start despite how old you are.
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Sharing successes and acknowledging competent competition
In the summer Olympics 2021 in Tokyo, athletes Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar) and Gianmarco Tamberi (Italy) both competed for the gold medal in the high jump finals. The Olympic record at the time stood at 2.39m, but the 2.37m jump proved to be the ultimate challenge for the finalists. While Maksin Nedasekau (Belarus) plateaued also at 2.37, but with more mistakes throughout the competition, Tamberi and Barshim were now tied for the gold medal. After both failing three times to match the Olympic record, the two asked the official if they could end the match on a tie. The official acknowledged this, and for the first time since the Olympics of 1912, two finalists joined a podium in athletics. https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/58048827
From this incredible final, we can also take away a lesson in entrepreneurship. Despite entrepreneurship generally focusing on competition and how to become better or more popular than your fellow competitors, it is also good to know that sharing successes is sometimes the healthier option. It is good to acknowledge that your competitors are also entrepreneurs like yourself, and seeing not only the bad but also the good in them not only strengthens the relationship between you and the competitor, but also allows for self-growth and not being afraid to be inspired by others.
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This is a really interesting story, illustrating how it can be better to work with people than against them. Another aspect of this is also the resulting public image. People like athletes that demonstrate good sportsmanship, and I think this could be similar in the area of business.
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Starting late
Rocky Marciano, a big name in boxing, only started boxing professionally at 23. Before that, he fought as an amateur during World War II. After finishing his military service in 1946, he began his pro career the next year.
He became a huge boxing star, winning his first 16 fights by knockout. In 1952, he became the world heavyweight champion, holding onto the title until he retired in 1956. Marciano never lost a match, winning all 49 of his fights.
We have read stories about starting really young in order to be the best in our sport. But what about those amazing athletes that started “late”? When working with leadership and entrepreneurship, it’s never too late to start!
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I always find these types of stories so inspiring. Way too many people feel like they have missed their chance, when that usually isn’t true
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You will not be successful by skill alone. That would be my takeaway from the 2021 F1 championship fight. To set the scene: Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes would battle with Max Verstappen from Red Bull. They had many clashes during the season, and it was a battle that went all the way to the last race. The drivers were both exceptional and both would have been deserved champions, but it became clear from early stages in the season that luck could play a big part.
During the races in Singapore and Hungary Verstappen got hit by a Mercedes, and barely scored any points. This allowed Hamilton to gain a big advantage in the champtionship, which is extremely hard to overcome when in other races the two generally would be 1 and 2 on the podium, only with a small points difference.
In the last race luck would turn around though. In the early stages of the race Verstappen got helped by his teammate, catching him back up to the leading Hamilton, but it was not enough. Hamilton was the fasted on the day, and could have won the race were it not for a very late safety car, bunching up the field again. Here came also a controversial decision by the race director, which enabled a last lap showdown between the two championship protagonists. Verstappen would win in the end, overtaking Hamilton with a big tire advantage.
Verstappen would have never been able to succeed without the help of his teammate and the luck on the last day, but also Hamilton would have never brought the title fight to a last race decider without luck of his own. From this we clearly see that circumstances must be right, your team must collaborate with you, and you need some luck to get you over the line. A conclusion which we can mirror directly on business and real life.
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