Embrace failure as a growth opportunity
The Bear. S2, E7. Forks. 34 minutes of TV up there with Tony Soprano's existential crisis prompted by ducks in his pool.
As we approach Thanksgiving in the United States, I'm thinking of the people I know who found themselves without a job this year.
All of them through no fault of their own.
As difficult as a layoff can be, it also affords an opportunity to reflect and reassess what's important in your life. It usually isn't 80 hour work weeks ... guilty as charged.
So, if you're in this situation – during Thanksgiving or any other time of the year – here's some inspiration for you from FX's The Bear. Season 2, Episode 7. Forks. 34 minutes of TV up there with Tony Soprano's existential crisis prompted by ducks in his pool.
Forks opens with a clip from a Bloomberg interview between David Rubenstein and Coach K. It's about personal responsibility, reflection, change, and surrounding ourselves with great people.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rubenstein: As you've been coaching over the years, what would you say are the most important lessons of leadership that you've learned?
Coach K: The very first thing is that in order to get better you change limits. And when you change limits, you're gonna look bad and you're gonna fail.
At West Point, I learned that failure was never a destination. In other words, when you are knocked back, figure out why and then change.
The other thing is that you're not gonna get there alone. Be on a team.
Surround yourself with good people and learn how to listen. You're not gonna learn with you just talking. And when you do talk, converse. Don't make excuses. Figure out the solution. You don't have to figure it out yourself ...
I always wanted to be a part of a team and obviously I wanted to lead that team. What an interesting life it is to be a leader. That's something.
Here's the full interview with Coach K on Bloomberg's The David Rubenstein Show:
And as a bonus a few fun clips from Forks:
Richie's season 2 journey culminates in the final episode with him as expo at The Bear. "Okay, Richie? Drive."