32 Lessons You Can Learn From Your Greatest Leadership Defeat

So what is failure?  I have been reading a lot lately on the subject and have come to some interesting conclusions.

Failure is rarely final.  Failure, however, is a data point.  It is just a piece of information which if you learn from it, will make you a better leader and your organization more effective.  If you choose to ignore the data, you do so at your own peril.

In the book My Greatest Defeat: Stories of hardship and hope from motor racing’s finest heroes, author Will Buxton interviewed many of the greatest auto racers in history to find out what each learned from their greatest defeat.  His findings were so insightful I want to share them with you.

Whether you lead a church, business, non-profit, educational unit, or an athletic organization, these are lessons you should know.  You can order Will’s book by clicking HERE or on the image provided.

The following are 32 Lessons From Your Greatest Leadership Defeat.  These are not in order of importance but rather are listed in a chronological manner in which I read them in the book.

1. A Dysfunctional Personality + Disloyalty From Your Team and Organization + Witnessing Tragedy = “I am going to do exactly what I want to do.”
2. Enjoy the journey.  Results are just added value.
3. Ambition is looking for advantages in a race.  Passion is finding the will to finish the race.
4. Few people can handle sustained success.
5. Everything we have is a gift from God.
6. Race car drivers race.  Regardless of the circumstances, that is what they do.
7. Whether you celebrate or cry, do it for a day.  Analyze, learn, and then turn the page.
8. Until you finish, until you cross the line, you can never assume anything about the outcome.
9. “Save it for the book.”  This is a problem.  That is a problem.  Move forward and save it for the book.
10. Almost losing your career can help you regain your passion.
11. Many love racing cars.  More love winning.
12. Embrace humility.  Even pro racers drive cheap rental cars.
13. Disappointments are just detours in disguise.
14. You can lose your confidence but not your ability.
15. During times of difficulty and tragedy, rely on God.
16. Love is the greatest motivator.
17. You learn the most in the hardest moments.
18. Who you are is what you learn.
19. Do not take anything for granted.
20. If you can’t manage distractions when you get in the car, you shouldn’t get in the car.
21. Fear does the work of reason.
22. Unnecessary mistakes throw wins away.
23. It takes adaptability and resilience to rebound from defeat.
24. The best way to get out of difficult situations is not to get into them the first place.
25. To get through defeat you must surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you.
26. In the midst of failure, take full responsibility.  Find the problem and fix it.
27. The only way to win a race is to finish the race.
28. You learn more when the green flag drops than you ever do from testing.
29. There is no end to how much you can learn and improve yourself.
30. The Indianapolis 500 is 500 miles of change.
31. You can lose a lot from only one mistake.
32. Getting through disappointment and hardship is proof your heart is in it.

What is one thing from the list above did you learn which will help you handle defeat in a more productive manner.

The Top 100 Leadership Quotes From 2020 is my latest ebook.  The wisdom contained in these pages from top business leaders, pastors, coaches, and superlative thinkers sustained countless leaders in the most turbulent year anyone can remember.  If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, click HERE or on the image provided to download this FREE resource.  The lessons learned from last year, if applied, will sustain you for years to come.