Sir Patrick Stewart began his pathway toward theatrical stardom when his acting teacher said his strategy would never lead him to success.
The strategy? Ensuring against failure.
Stewart admits he didn’t take chances. Instead, he convinced himself that playing it safe was the best way to forge a successful career. It wasn’t until he was pushed by that acting teacher that he understood his recipe for success was really a recipe for mediocrity.
We all need teachers—and leaders, coaches and friends—like that. People that truly understand you’re only as good as you’re willing to be bad. Be that leader for others.
This really resonates. I think it's particularly challenging in some organizations where failure can be fatal. So organizational alignment is critical in my opinion.