Reader:

3 real life experiences that reveal winning isn't always success; and losing isn't always failure.

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Morning Minute 11.6.26

Did You Fail—or Did You Lose? Three real-life experiences that reveal why winning isn't always success—and losing isn't always failure.

Failure and loss are closely related, but they're not the same.

Both can be painful, disappointing, and life-changing. Yet, they differ in what causes them, what we can control, and what we can learn.

​Failure occurs when our efforts fall short of the desired result. It challenges us to examine our decisions, preparation, and actions.

​Loss occurs when something we value is taken away or is no longer available. It challenges us to accept, adapt, and move forward.

Consider three experiences that illustrate these differences.

1. Losing a Sale, Gaining a Lesson

As a young automobile salesperson, I spoke by phone with an out-of-town father purchasing a vehicle for his son.

Eager to make the sale, I allowed my enthusiasm to influence how I described the vehicle. I exaggerated rather than telling the complete truth.

I lost the sale and the customer, but gained a lesson I've never forgotten.

Enthusiasm may help make a sale, but honesty builds the trust necessary for lasting relationships and continuous success.​

2. Losing Vehicles, Preserving Relationships

During Hurricane Hugo, Enterprise lost its entire fleet of vehicles in the affected area.

The area supervisor couldn't control the storm, but she could control her response.

She maintained direct communication with dealer clients, provided timely updates, and explained how they could assist their customers and one another despite the devastation.

We cannot always control what we lose, but we can influence what we preserve.

3. Gaining Sales, Losing Respect

During a busy lunch rush at a Charlotte restaurant, the company president misrepresented a menu item to customers.

Sales increased substantially.

But employees who witnessed his actions lost respect for their leader.

He achieved his financial objective while sacrificing something far more difficult to replace—his credibility.

Sometimes we achieve what we want while losing what matters most.

So, what's the greater danger—experiencing failure or loss, or failing to learn from either?

Consider three distinctions:

​Failure asks us to examine our actions.

​Loss asks us to examine what we value.

​Both ask us to examine who we are becoming.

Success doesn't always mean we did the right thing.

Failure doesn't always mean we did everything wrong.

Keep Learning. Keep Leading.

And remember: Information without transformation is wasted energy.

That is your Morning Minute.

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Here are 2 quotes as we ponder our journey into socialism in America:

“The problem with socialism is you eventually run out of other people’s money!” MARGARET THATCHER

“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the boisterous sea of liberty!” THOMAS JEFFERSON

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(published by the Bonorato Creative Group, LLC. All rights reserved)