We Will Rise Again

We will Rise Again

Article by Cynthia Chirinda

Nobody likes to fail. Everyone wants to win and achieve success, but there are many times when life throws curve balls at you that make you fall, but that does not mean that you cannot rise again. It is possible to get back up again when life knocks you down. Steve Jobs was fired from the company that he started. He did not give up. He used this experience to build up his character, leadership and turned his struggles into strengths. Eventually, Jobs went back to Apple and transformed the company into one of the most valuable companies in the world. The same thing happened to Walt Disney. He was fired by a company due to his “lack of imagination,” however, that did not deter his spirit to start his own company. He persevered until he built the Walt Disney theme park and Mickey Mouse into stardom.

When you fall, how do you rise again? Failure happens to the best of us all as individuals, families, communities and nations. If you want to make a comeback, you must learn how to manage your failures.

Lessons from Singapore

When Singapore was founded by Stamford Raffles in January 1819, it was a small fishing village inhabited by a thousand Malay fishermen and a few Chinese farmers. Its transformation from a small fishing village in the early nineteenth century to a modern and prosperous city-state today is an incredible story of from rags to riches. When Singapore was forced to leave the Federation of Malaysia and became independent in August 1965, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was concerned about Singapore’s survival. In his memoirs, Lee wrote:

“We had been asked to leave Malaysia and go our own way with no signposts to our next destination. We faced tremendous odds with an improbable chance of survival. …On that 9th day of August 1965, I started out with great trepidation on a journey along an unmarked road to an unknown destination…”

Fortunately for Singaporeans, Lee’s fears were unfounded as Singapore has not only survived but has been transformed from a Third World country to a First World country over the years. The lives of Singaporeans have also improved as reflected in the drastic decline in the unemployment rate, improved quality of housing, education and overall economic wellbeing. As a result of the effectiveness of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in enforcing the Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA) impartially, corruption has been minimised in Singapore, which is the least corrupt Asian country according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) in 2016 and 2017.

The secret behind Singapore’s turnaround has been attributed to amongst other things, the emphasis and importance of good leadership, industrialisation and a pragmatic approach to policy formulation which entails a willingness to introduce new policies or modify existing ones as circumstances dictate, regardless of ideological principle.

Many organisational and national leaders can borrow a leaf or two from Singapore’s journey. When families, institutions, organisations and nations fail to govern well, the people bear an incredible burden unnecessarily. In the eighth chapter of my book, The Connection Factor for Leaders, I emphasise the importance of “Adopting A People Centric Approach in Governance.” Whenever leadership has the people at heart, they can easily develop sensitivities and strategies for recovery from failure.

In 2016, Singapore ranked first for government effectiveness. In his paper on Strategic Pragmatism, Edgar Schein attributed Singapore’s success to its incorruptible and competent civil service as “having the best and brightest” citizens in government as probably one of Singapore’s major strengths.

How to Rise Up After A Fall

1. Give yourself some time to heal. After suffering a big blow, it is hard to accept the truth and it is often heart-breaking. This is not an overnight process; it requires deep introspection and reflection. After Steve Jobs was fired from his own company, he took three months off traveling and discovering himself. Eventually, he found out that he still loved what he did and decided to start a company called Next.

2. Learn something positive from failing. Oswald Avery said, "Whenever you fall, pick something up." What lesson can we learn from our fall? What can we pick up and bring with us? Once you have accepted the truth that you have failed, it is time to learn and find out why you failed so that you can do better in the future.

3. Be proactive. If you don't hear what you need to hear, then say what you need to hear. Sometimes we need to coach ourselves. Learn how to talk yourself out of despair. Find the words and inspiring quotes you need to pick yourself up and keep them written down in a place you can easily access when you need it most.

4. Be open to new strategies. If we do what we have always done, we will get what we have always gotten. Don't keep trying to fix something with a solution that you already know makes things worse. Be open to what you haven't tried yet.

5. Hold onto your connection with God. We need to re-connect with the Source of our lives and the One who makes impossible change possible. Recognize that our lives are in His Hands and that to really rise up when we fall, we need to turn to Him and ask Him to help us find a way.

6. Learn from Others. None of us can succeed on our own. You cannot afford to be too proud to ask for help. Learning from others can shortcut your learning curve and at the same time, you are able to see how others have gone through similar situations just like yours and still manage to not only survive, but thrive.

7. Nurture your values. Don't give up on what is most important to you. Our vision, authentic values and ideals should not take second place in our lives as individuals, families or nations. Sometimes falling is a wakeup call to re-prioritize the way we spend our time and resources.

8. Reboot and start again. The process of failing and getting back up again is like having a major system update with your computer. After a system failure, sometimes the operating system requires you to run an antivirus scan in tandem with a major update. Thereafter you can Reboot and start again with a better version of yourself and additional components that can help you attain your vision.

Cynthia Chirinda is an Organisational and Personal Development Consultant, a Life Coach, Author, and Strategist. Her two new additions to the Connection Factor Collection “The Connection Factor for Leaders” and “The Connection Factor for Women” speak to matters that position organisational leaders and women respectively, to achieve greater levels of success through their strategic connections. Looking at improving your career, personal effectiveness, communication skills, relationships, focus, faith and happiness? Wholeness Incorporated Coaching offers you strategies you can implement today to review your progress and achieve your goals. E-mail: [email protected] LinkedIn: Cynthia Chirinda Hakutangwi. Mobile: 263 717 013 206. Website: www.cynthiac.net.in