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Sometimes the greatest obstacle to our success is our to disappointments

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Morning Minute 6.12.26

I Thought His Promotion Was the Problem Sometimes the greatest obstacle to our success is our response to disappointment.

Several years into my career, our long-time Director of Operations retired.

When his replacement was announced, I was convinced the company had made a mistake.

The individual selected for the position—let's call him Steve—was a regional leader from another state. From my perspective, his restaurants were not as clean, nor as well-run, as those in my territory. I believed I was the better candidate.

I thought his promotion was the problem.

Looking back, I couldn't have been more wrong.

His promotion wasn't what changed my career. My response to it was.

Instead of having an honest conversation with Steve about my concerns, I allowed resentment to take root. My attitude changed. My performance declined. Rather than focusing on what I could control, I began blaming someone else for my circumstances.

I convinced myself that Steve's promotion was holding me back.

It wasn't.

The real problem was the person I saw in the mirror every morning.

Over time, my frustration became an excuse. My excuses became lackluster performance. And eventually, I left the company.

What hurts most is knowing that the outcome was avoidable.

Had I accepted the situation, supported Steve's leadership, and focused on delivering my very best, my career likely would have taken a very different path.

That experience taught me one of life’s most important leadership lessons:

When something goes wrong, before looking outward, look inward.

Today, whenever I face a setback, I ask myself five questions:

1. How did I miss this situation?
2. How should I have anticipated it?
3. What can I learn from it?
4. What can I do to avoid it in the future?
5. Is there a way to benefit from it?

Notice that every question begins with me.

Not because I'm always at fault.

But because I'm the only person whose actions I can change.

The moment we stop blaming circumstances, other people, or bad luck, we begin to regain our power to improve.

As leaders, that is our responsibility.

So, the next time you encounter a disappointment, an unexpected obstacle, or even someone else's mistake, start by looking in the mirror.

You may discover your greatest growth opportunity is staring right back at you.

​Growth begins when excuses end!​

And remember:

Information without transformation is wasted energy.

That is today's Morning Minute.

Please feel free to share or use this message and/or video as a discussion starter for any training or organizational meeting.

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As we approach our nation's 250th anniversary, I ask you to reach out to a young person, share with them how that the freedoms we enjoy are not derived from government. They are given to us by our Creator. To illustrate, share a story about someone overcame adversity to gain success. Or, how that someone's military service provides us with the freedoms and opportunities that we enjoy. Also, how we have the freedom to try and fail, try again and fail, and keep trying until we succeed.

This short video on American exceptionalism explains how and why that a country with only 330 million people in a world with 8 billion people has become the world leader in freedom, innovation, philanthropy, and so much more. Please take the time to share this with family members, in churches, in service organizations, and schools. The only way we may sustain this exceptional country is for citizens to know and understand what sets us apart from every other nations.

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