The most successful people I know take their losses the hardest. But here’s the key: They don’t dwell on them. They take the loss to heart, learn from it, and move on.
The difference between success and failure is not the absence of mistakes, but how you handle them.
If you get knocked down and don’t get back up, you’re not just losing the fight — you’re throwing away your potential.
It’s crucial to understand that failure isn’t final until you quit.
Every time something doesn’t go your way, it’s an opportunity to learn. When we pour resources, time, and energy into a campaign, initiative, or hire that doesn’t pan out, we don’t just brush it off. We always do a “postmortem.” We dig into what went wrong — not to place blame, but to uncover the lesson. Maybe it was a blind spot we missed, or maybe we could have approached things differently.
It’s easy to blame external factors (the judge, the jury, the economy, etc.) but that’s not productive. What matters is how you could have done better.
Reflecting on mistakes isn’t just about self-criticism. It’s about growth.
I take pride in my mistakes because they’ve made me wiser and more capable.
When I meet leaders who are terrified of making a mistake, I know they’re holding themselves back. They’re trying to bat a thousand, avoiding any decision that might not go their way.
But here’s the thing: The choices with the highest potential often come with the highest risk. If you’re too afraid to take those risks, you’ll never reach your full potential.
Some of the best trial lawyers I know have suffered crushing defeats, and that’s what gives them the experience and confidence they carry into the courtroom today. The ones with a perfect record? Maybe they’re just cherry-picking easy cases. If so, they’re missing out on the tough cases that could actually sharpen their skills and build their capabilities.
In the end, it’s not about avoiding mistakes. It’s about embracing them. Learn from them, grow from them, and let them push you forward.
The path to success is paved with failures — and each one brings you closer to where you need to be.
