I deeply dislike the word failure. I believe that something beneficial may be learned through nearly every experience. Those who have been through Servant Leadership training will understand how a culture of moving through disappointments is central to the Growth Mood Curve and that we do not accept a victim - but victory viewpoint. Our COS motto is act-learn-adjust.
Dan Bongino's book The Gift of Failure will provide concrete examples of this posture related from his own life. Yes, this is that Dan Bongino who was just appointed as the Deputy Director of the FBI.
Bongino, who is not without controversy, began as an officer of the New York Police Department, then served in the Secret Service as an agent and academy instructor. He received a law degree and ran (unsuccessfully) for three positions as: state senator in Maryland, US senator from Maryland, and a representative in the Florida house. From those experiences, he began hosting a very conservative podcast and radio show with over 16 million listeners (Bongino Show). He is also a cancer survivor.
Bongino has had numerous challenges and (apparent) defeats in his life, yet he openly shares those struggles and what he gained by them in the book. Each chapter begins with an inspirational quote.
It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. ~Theodore Roosevelt
The following are some gleanings from his story:
- "Failure can help us redefine success by allowing us to reassess our goals and values. Failure helps us build resilience and inspires us to work harder and smarter towards our goals."
- "When we are given a binary choice in life, we tend to think, what do we want more...Why not ask yourself, what can't you live without?"
- Own up to your mistake.
- A failure may be a blessing; being denied something may lead to a better suited role.
- Consider the impact on others. "When you fail, you don't fail alone."
- Your experience might be a catalyst for others. A significant donor at a fundraising event for Bongino became so inspired that he later decided to run for office (and eventually won).
- Challenges cause you to grow and change through that challenge. (Surprisingly, Bongino is not a social person, but he had to become one to run for office.)
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. ~Winston Churchill
Describing his qualifications in running for office, Bongino writes about an interview with Sean Hannity: "I was prepared with good, strong answers, I knew what I wanted to do, and explained how I felt that as a society, we were becoming a kleptocracy and an oligarchy. I was a legitimate outsider, but I had seen the inner sanctum. I had worked in the White House for Years [in the Secret Service], so I knew what was going on. That made me unique."
This underscores Bongino's legitimacy for this new career position with the FBI. However, it will be interesting to see how he operates when failure is not an option for that agency.
Due to his new position in government, the Bongino Report is now available here
Warning: there are a few instances of objectionable language in the book.
My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure. ~Abraham Lincoln
The book is available at Amazon Barnes and Noble and Books A Million
