Page 153 - The Big Book of Business Quotations: Over 1,400 of the Smartest Things Ever Said about Making Money - PDFDrive.com

Failure, Fear, and Adversity

The failure rate of businesses is notoriously high—as steep as nine of every
ten start-ups, by some accounts. Even the 10 percent or so that survive become
acquainted with failure. Hired after careful vetting, a new employee flames out.
Highly promoted merchandise languishes on store shelves. A lawsuit against a
rival is decided in the opponent’s favor. And, to be sure, the most successful
businesses can count on experiencing adversity as well. Quarterly profits drop.
An ascendant rival appears on the horizon. A visionary faces unanimous
skepticism. Given the realities of business life, successful people in the business
world have adopted a universal coping mechanism: they subscribe to the idea
that setbacks are strengthening. Hardships test their mettle. Failures set the stage
for a rebound. Redemption is just around the corner. Although it may seem
perverse, applaud failure.

Don’t be afraid of failure; be afraid of petty success.

—Maud Adams, actress