Be more like Ben...

This article is about Ben (not his real name). If you met him then you would find a smiling, polite, mild mannered professional. He probably looks similar to you or your friends and, if Ben passed you with his children on the school run or in a garden centre, then you may even walk by him without a second glance.

You may catch a glimpse of him and think “he looks familiar". That could be because his time in UK special forces led to TV appearances and a successful career as an author. These are impressive achievements, but they are only symptoms of his true strength: an impressively tenacious character.

Ben's life has been littered with these types of achievements. In the military he served with an elite group of professionals, and was involved in exchange programmes with the likes of Delta Force and Seal Team 6. Ben's skills and strive for excellence were always in demand by the world's premier fighting forces.

The story I like the most was when Ben left the military and he applied to three of the best universities in the UK. He was initially refused entry to them all due to lack of academic merit. Ben changed tactics and decided to prove himself at college by choosing 20 subjects, and using hard work to earn an A in them all.

Ben then reapplied and was refused again. He didn't waste time thinking about how unfair it was or grasp onto the idea he was being discriminated against, he regrouped and contacted the Prince’s Trust to see if they could help. They agreed and secured an interview for him at one of his chosen universities.

Fast forward four years and Ben graduated with a first-class Master of Arts. He actually still holds the title of the only student in the university's entire history to have the honour of holding the Best Dissertation Award & Best Overall Performance Award in the same academic year. Now that's impressive!

What's perhaps most impressive is that Ben was not blessed with superpowers, he wasn't born into wealth/ connections and is not a genius. Ben is built like you and me, but the difference is that he has taken responsibility and accountability for life's outcomes, regardless of the inputs/ challenges along the way.

I can say that Ben is a great man and a brilliant professional. He is a valued member of the Integrity HSE team and we look forward to working with him on our leadership courses. He is living proof that the world owes you nothing and you make your own path, the price for which is effort and sacrifice.

This lesson (effort and sacrifice) is often forgotten in today's world. That is not to say that you can walk past injustice, quite the opposite. If you are unfairly penalised then that is always a fight worth having, but it does not control your outcome, it just means you may have to work a little harder.

So, if you start to find yourself thinking that it's okay to quit (we're only human) or hiding behind excuses and saying "it's not fair" then this article is for you. The reality is that YOU are responsible and accountable for it all, so if you don't like the cards life dealt then change them...in short, try and be a little more like Ben.