Life Lessons, Leadership, and making mistakes

 

Leadership is Action, not a position. 

This key phrase is one of the key tenets of my practice of leadership in various positions over the years. Other parts of what I call the secret code of Leadership are: Humanity, Empathy, Communicate about Expectations, Match the style of Leadership to the Team and to the Situation. Of course, there are libraries full of books about leadership (and management), but my secret code has worked for me. 

Life Lessons, Leadership, and life's mistakes

Today, I had the great opportunity to talk to a very interesting group of university students, mostly about Life Lessons, Leadership, and also about making mistakes. I spelled out some of the really bad, and 'maybe not so bad' mistakes I've made in my life -- and how I think making those mistakes made me a better leader and a better person. Part of making mistakes, I believe, is not becoming 'so down' on yourself that you stop respecting yourself and who you are (or, to put another way, getting 'so down' on yourself that you stop liking yourself). I think it's important to put life's mistakes into the right context and learn from them.

Getting is right almost always starts with getting it wrong.  Unless we put ourselves or someone else into danger, the only bad thing about making mistakes is failing to try again.  And again.  And again.  And as many times as it takes to get it right.

That process, of trying it over and over until it works, has been my mantra in life, and in writing.  How many times have we said, or heard, ‘we learn from our mistakes,’ or perhaps, if we’re lucky, ‘we learn from the mistakes of others.’ 

In life, I've seen many people who claim that they won't try something because they can't do it right. Sadly, they end up not doing something that might have brought them joy, or fulfillment,  or a feeling of achievement, or the belief that they might have made an impact, or, perhaps, a sense of peace. 

As a writer, I often read, to see what others are writing.  I read what is selling and I read what is getting good reviews.  I also read what is new, or does not have good reviews, or what might not be selling, yet.  I read what appeals to me.  This is how I learn from others’ mistakes, and successes.

As I writer, I look at my own work.  I put my work out there.  I see which of my books sell, and which of them earn good reviews.  This is how I learn from my own mistakes, and possibly, from my own successes.

Getting it right, as an author, can be a long process.  It almost certainly very unlikely that the first novel we write is going to be a great success.  Almost any author will tell you that they did a lot of writing before they ended up with a work that they were happy with, or that sold well, or that got good reviews.  But, the key is to keep trying.  That means to keep writing.

In my case, I write because I want to write. I write because I need to write. I write what I want to write.  I write for myself.  But; I share my writing in the hope that some will like it, and perhaps, the hope that I might somehow tell a story that will have an impact.  

I should also mention that I wish I could do more writing, as I have more stories to tell -- a number of just-started and partially finished stories that I need to write. Someday, when my primary profession allows me some spare time, I will get back to doing more writing, and making more mistakes.

I hope that I will always remember and realize that it’s okay to get it wrong, if I keep trying to get it right.

Wil