Perseverance: The Key to Turning Failure into Success

“Success is never final. Failure is never fatal.”

The above quote has two important truths about success: 

1. don’t become complacent when you have it
2. don’t give up on it when you stumble.

History is full of examples of people who failed and then went on to experience great success: 

• Bill Gates’ first business flopped.
• Oprah Winfrey was fired from one of her first television jobs. 
• Elvis Presley was told: “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truck.”

More examples of successful people who overcame failure

Their stories show that failure should never be the end of the story. If you keep your goals in sight and persevere, you can eventually reach them.

We’re all human, so we’re going to face setbacks or make mistakes from time to time. The key is to keep moving forward toward your goals. If you approach your life with resilience and determination, you can turn any failure into success.

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You're Only As Good As Your Team!

Amazing DELL facts:

• At the age of 19, Michael Dell started PC’s Limited with $1,000 and a game-changing vision for the technology industry. 
• In 2017 Dell was valued at $57.2 billion 
• Customers’ growing adoption of Dell’s Intel-based servers has propelled Dell to the #1 position in the United States in Q2 2002 after entering the market in 1997 
• Dell have seven manufacturing plants around the world, offices in 37 countries and distribution in over 190 countries.

1. Inspiring Leadership. 

Team members who say their leader is inspiring are twice as likely to recommend Dell as a great place to work and half as likely to leave the company. Dell invest heavily in leadership development and to ensure that the right leaders are in the right roles. Then we hold leaders accountable for their performance and their leadership.

2. Purpose. 

Everyone wants to feel valued for their contributions. Equally important, they want to contribute to something bigger than themselves. Dell team members volunteered more than 800,000 hours last year, putting their expertise to work for the communities and causes they care about.

4. A winning strategy. 

Develop a clear strategy, communicate it in a compelling way and diligently align your organization to it. Your team will live the strategy, execute and innovate in ways that are surprising, wonderful and drive even more winning. Dell like to say, "we’re not in a rut, we’re in a groove", and once you’re in the groove of winning, it’s the grooviest groove of them all.

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5 Tips for Leadership

John Eades, from the Welder Leader program has some simple tips on how to develop your leadership. Here we have taken five of them and asked some supplementary questions. If you read the article, there are 5 more. Which of the 10 would be a target for you to work on over the next year?

1. Be Consistent
"The steadfast adherence to principles, truth or standards of behavior”.

Consistency is a vital part of being a leader. A steadfast adherence to principles and standards of behavior will make you the most successful leader you can be. When you lack these, you create a sense of uncertainty and doubt for your team that is almost impossible to overcome.

• Do your team know how you will respond when they bring an issue to them?
• Are you able to manage your emotions at times of stress?
• If you were asked the same question on different days, would your response vary?

2. Communicate All the Time
The vast majority of conflict in a work environment or any relationship can be blamed on poor communication. Many leaders do not place enough emphasis on and put enough effort into clear communication. When a leader or team does not properly communicate, assumptions are made. This results in people being unsure about where they stand or how they are supposed to behave. 

• How do you ensure people know what you mean?
• Are there clear models that demonstrate expectations?
• How often do you interact with different tiers of the school?

3. Focus on Relationships
The relationships you build as a leader must be based on trust and mutual respect. Where most leaders struggle is in understanding their responsibility to earn those two things. Long gone are the days of a title earning the respect of those you lead. In today’s workplaces, a title should only be a reminder of your responsibility to earn trust and respect from your people.

• Are you highly visible as a leader?
• Do staff feel that they are trusted to make their own decisions?
• How do you recognise staff effort and achievement and show how you value them?

4. Be Purpose-Driven
The desire to be part of something bigger than oneself is deep within everyone. Being purpose-driven is the best way to satisfy this need. Knowing what it is you want to do, beyond making money, is such a vital part of being successful. Ask yourself, who do we serve? Why is it important? What greater impact can/do we have on the world?

• When was the mission statement last revisited?
• Are all members of staff equally able to identify the core purpose?
• How much of your time do you get to spend tasks related to this purpose?

5. Define Core Values
Core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person or an organization. These guiding principles dictate behavior and help people decipher right from wrong. A common denominator between all great leaders is the time they have dedicated to defining their own set of core values. You always know a core value not by the words on a wall or website but by seeing what a leader rewards, recognized and talks about.

• What are your core values?
• How do you demonstrate them on a daily basis?
• Would members of staff identify the same values when they talk about your leadership?

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5 Toxic Words To Avoid

The words a leader uses really, really matter. Even something said in jest or in the moment can stick with an employee for a long time.

1. Can’t

Never say something can’t be done – it’s harsh and often untrue.

Instead, explain why something can be difficult to execute. So, rather than, “we can’t record assessments in that way,” say “to get that information, we’d need to educate the entire team on a new approach to assessment.” That’ll provide more context and ultimately led to better relationships with your team.

2. No
Big clarification here – saying no is a big part of being a leader. Prioritization is essential. But, how you say no matters, and that’s by avoiding the actual word no.

“It's clear and to the point, but it's very often seen as too heavy, negative or even disrespectful,” Dewett said. “Instead, strive to offer a more informative comment about the decision that was made.”

3. Fault
This one is okay if you are talking earthquakes. But, telling someone something is “their fault” is a recipe for disengagement.

“Assigning fault might be necessary, but know that it's dangerous,” Dewett said. “The key is to be succinct, focused more on the team more than any one individual when possible, and framed positively.”

4. Never
A rule PR folks teach politicians – never say never. Well, same goes for leaders.

“When talking about the future, this word almost always feels like a door slammed in someone's face,” Dewett said. “It can reduce hope and thus motivation. You can't see the future, so let's resist saying never.”

5. Impossible
This is similar to never. And it’s rarely true – two hundred years ago, the idea of someone flying across the country at 40,000 feet at speeds of 550 mph seemed impossible. Now, it happens all the time.

“I'll admit that all of these words in small doses, framed constructively, are just fine,” Dewett said. “But remember, don't overindulge in their use and don't use them with a heavy, negative tone. Your words matter, so try to err on positive word choices if you really want people to listen.”

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Romford Careers Fair - 22nd Sept

We are delighted to be able to promote a Careers Fair at the Havering Islamic Centre.

Date: 22nd September
Time: 11am-3pm
Venue: Havering Islamic Cultural Centre
Address: 91 Waterloo Road, Romford, Essex, RM7 0AA
Website: haveringislamiccentre.org.uk

This is a chance for Havering children to come and speak to universities and employers. There will be placements on offer for students who impress the exhibitors.