Embrace the Suck...
Dale Dupree
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Fallen soldiers… Dead horses… Exhausted resources…
…It was time to go back home.
Napoleon Bonaparte found himself in a surprisingly gory scene when he attacked Russia.?
With a dream of conquering the world, he decided to take over one of the biggest nations ever to exist.?
Accompanied by more than half a million soldiers, they began their 3,800+ mile march to Russia.?
Could you imagine the confidence you’d have with over 500,000 loyal soldiers following your orders? No one was going to beat them.?
Or so they thought…
See, the Russians knew they never stood a chance in man-to-man combat with Napoleon’s massive army…
So they had to get creative and be clever with their approach.?
When they heard Napoleon was coming, they evacuated boarding cities and burnt everything down to the ground.?
Everything.?
So when Napoleon and his army entered the first city, they found nothing but ashes.?
No food, drinking water, cattle or any resources at all… Not even jewelry or personal belongings that might have been forgotten.?
To top it all off, they invaded during a freezing cold Russian winter and there were no buildings for them to warm up.?
But, Napoleon wasn’t willing to give up so he kept going…
The thing is, these Russian communities were burning everything and running away long before he’d arrive.?
And a couple of cities later, Napoleon and his army had worn themselves out.?
Their horses started dying of hunger…
Soldiers passing away from injuries, illness, starvation, and pure exhaustion.?
Subsequentially, they were forced to retreat and go back home.?
The invasion ultimately turned out to be the beginning of the downfall of one of the biggest conquerors to ever walk this planet.?
Which brings me to the point of telling you this story…
We’re always told to relentlessly follow our dreams, stay the course and never to give up.
And while I don’t disagree with that statement…
领英推è
Accepting failure and moving on from something can produce a much more desirable outcome and take you to a place of victory.
If Napoleon didn't let his ego take over, he would have retreated upon reaching the first city, and casualties would have been minor.?
Then he could have devised a different strategy to return and come out victorious.?
If you ever plan out a campaign, project or an idea but it just doesn’t seem to stick…
Don’t make the same mistake Napoleon did.?
Don’t be afraid to let go and start over, the work you have put in is not meaninglessly lost because of this.
Rebels play the long game and are willing to fail, take risks and seek out discomfort in order to change our outcomes.
Accepting defeat does not mean giving up.
This is simply just the act of embracing the suck and becoming emboldened in your state of defeat to carry forward and change the game.
Do not be deceived by the emotional desire to gain through quick wins…?
That feeling is deceptive and will ultimately lead to your downfall in the long run.
Be willing to step back, reassess the situation and decide your next move Rebelliously…
As this might be the single choice that will lead you to your ultimate breakthrough.?
And by the way…
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Much love,
-Dale
LEAD with confidence + humility | Host of Leadership On Purpose | Leadership Development. Executive Search.
1 年Knowing when to stop doing something that’s not working (or not the optimal way) is both a skill and trait. Trait, because ego is involved. Great stuff Dale Dupree
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1 å¹´Absolutely resonate with your perspective on the importance of learning from failure and adapting, especially in fields like sales, Dale Dupree.
Work-optional at 31 with passive investing ?? Jiu-jitsu competitor ??♂? Podcast host ?? Travel enthusiast ??
1 å¹´I have a continuous conversation with myself on "should I pivot, or have I not given this enough time". It's an art to balance the two
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1 å¹´The flip side of this would be looking to see if customers/potential customers are burning down cities, crops, and demolishing bridges so they can retreat too fast for you to catch up and talk to them. And now I'm thinking about "hubris" and Thucydides and the Peloponessian War because I think there's a marketing lesson in there (and I like any excuse to read history!).
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1 å¹´Dale Dupree, defeat is part of the process that leads to victory. If Michael Jordan after his missed his first few shots in the NBA quit, he would have never become the GOAT.