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Tag: #managing
Turning Disappointment into Career Insight: Learning from Loss
Turning a loss into learning
I believe in the axiom Every time a door closes a window opens. Maria in The Sound Of Music is the first place I heard it. There is some discussion about the source.
Early in my career, I applied for a promotion. I had stellar qualifications and my performance put me head and shoulders above other candidates. I even got the first perfect score on the test to evaluate my readiness for the role. As a result, I expected to win the roll. But, I did not. The job went to someone less skilled and qualified. So, I asked to speak with the VP of Human Resources responsible for making the selection and asked what happened.
What she told me made me very angry while setting the stage to turn disappointment into career insight!
You did not get the job because honesty is very important to you.
What?!
I argued that honesty was part of our mission, honesty was a corporate value, honest is what we want our kids to be, we swear an oath when we testify to tell the truth! I made a very compelling argument. She listed attentively and agreed with me, and surprised me by saying unfortunately, that’s not a part of our culture and I think you would find it frustrating to in a role working with people who don’t share you views on honesty being important. You should find an organization that has the same mission and values as you. I did not understand or agree.
Angered by the response, I quickly found the promotion with a competitor. But, the conversation always bothered me, until years later I understood the valuable lesson about turning disappointment into career insight.
If your personal mission and values don’t align with your employer’s, it’s time to find a new employer. Had I received the promotion I deserved, I would have been miserable and faced with fundamental daily conflict. Turning disappointment into insight lead to my career growth. In the long run I benefitted.
She did me a favor by being honest telling me to go elsewhere. She cared about me as a person even though that meant losing me as a good employee.
So, Thanks TK wherever you are!
What Great Leaders Know
- Disappointment can result in career growth and turning disappointment into career insight is key.
- When your mission is at odds with your employer’s it’s time to find a new employer
- Leaders are honest and want what’s best for their people
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Helping Others Succeed: A Winning Strategy
Developing a winning team is more effective when focusing on helping others succeed: a winning strategy.
When it comes to helping others succeed and generating wins, my friend George Johnson comes to mind. George is a capital G, Great Leader and one of my business heroes. During the time I worked for George he always put my career development first. He assisted me in accomplishing my goals by giving me opportunities to contribute in key situations. He trusted me and always valued my opinion even when it differed. George understood, as exceptional leaders do, that when he helped me succeed, the team won.
Outstanding leaders construct a team of talented, team focused, collaborators. They understand while there is something to be gained from healthy competition, there is more to be gained from working together. One of George’s keys to performance is put points on the board which got me thinking about one of my sports heroes, Wayne Gretzky. The Great One left a measurable legacy of what it means to lead by collaboration. Helping others succeed helps the team win. A lesson from the hockey rink that applies to the workplace, where helping others succeed helps the team win.
Career NHL Goal Scoring Leaders
NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, has held the NHL All Time Goal Scoring Record since he retired in 1999 with 894 goals. Washington Capitals Super Star Alex Ovechkin has scored 872 goals and is a good bet to break Gretzky’s record before he retires. Since hockey teams cannot win when they don’t score, nothing is more important than goal scoring. Gretzky played in 1487 games and Ovechkin 1450, their goals per game average is very similar. Helping others succeed, Gretzky enabled his team to win.
What sets Gretzky apart is what he did for other players
Career NHL Assists Leaders
Hall of Famer Ron Francis ranks second in career assists (setting up another player who scores a goal) with an amazing 1,249! Alex Ovechkin ranks 57th with 708 career assists, also an impressive total.
Gretzky assisted another player in scoring a staggering 1,936 times! Nearly 700 more than Francis in about 300 fewer games. Even though he scored the most goals ever, Gretzky helped others score twice as often! This is a prime example of how helping others succeed helps the team win.
Career NHL Points Leader (Goals + Assists)
Nor surprisingly, Wayne Gretzky ranks first in Career Points, either scoring a goal or assisting someone else who scored 2,857 times! Helping others succeed: the winning strategy for team success. Hall of Famer Jaromir Jagr ranks second with 1,921 points, while Alex Ovechkin ranks 12th with 1,580. Even if he never scored a goal in his career, Wayne Gretzky would still be the NHL career points leader!
Gretzky’s teams won 4 Stanley Cup Championships while Ovechkin’s teams won 1.
While Ovechkin will likely end his career as the all time goals leader, Gretzky helped his teammates score 63% more goals than Ovechkin. Helping others succeed: the winning strategy for team success. Most of the time, Gretzky was helping his teammates score. Most of the time, Ovechkin’s teammates were helping him score. That does not mean Alex Ovechkin is not an all time great hockey player. It does not mean he was a selfish player. He was simply better at scoring than helping others score. Wayne Gretzky’s ability to help his teammates succeed resulted in more wins, more championships.
Winning With Your Work Team
Great Leaders who help their team mates succeed, win more often, like George, like Gretzky. In business that means prioritizing your team members career development. Helping others succeed: the winning strategy for team success. Assisting them in accomplishing their goals and giving them opportunities to contribute in key situations. Helping others succeed, in turn, helps the team win.
George understood, as exceptional leaders do, that when he helped me succeed, the team won.
Great Leaders Know
The most successful leaders make everyone around them better
Give more than you take
Outstanding leaders construct a team of talented, team focused, collaborators
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