How The Mighty Fall, And Get Back Up
In the latest book by Jim Collins, How the Mighty Fall, Collins carefully outlines how great, thriving organizations can quickly and dramatically fall from prominence.
While he spends a lot of time outlining what he calls the “Five Stages of Decline”, I was particularly motivated by his thoughts on what those who fall, and then recover, have in common.
I certainly want to understand how to avoid a fall in the first place. (Or should I say, avoid any more “falls” than I’ve already experienced!) But since it’s a given that stumbling and falling down is a necessary and inevitable experience of life…I’m motivated by examples of those who get back up and recover.
Here are some excerpts from How the Mighty Fall that I found of particular interest:
Xerox. HP. Nucor. IBM. Merck. Texas Instruments. Pitney Bowes. Nordstrom. Disney. Boeing. What do these companies have in common? Each took at least one tremendous fall at some point in its history and recovered…in every case, leaders emerged who broke the trajectory of decline and simply refused to give up on the idea of not only survival but ultimate triumph, despite the most extreme odds.
The signature of the truly great vs. the merely successful is not the absence of difficulty. It’s the ability to come back from setbacks, even cataclysmic catastrophes, strongter than before. Great nations can decline and recover. Great companies can fall and recover. Great social institutions can fall and recover. And great individuals can fall and recover. As long as you never get entirely knocked out of the game, there remains hope.
The path out of darkness begins with those exasperatingly persistent individuals who are constitutionally incapable of capitulation. It’s one thing to suffer a staggering defeat–as will likely happen to every enduring business and social enterprise and (individual) at some point in its history–and entirely another to give up on the values and aspirations that make the protracted struggle worthwhile. Failure is not so much a physical state as a state of mind; success is falling down–and getting up one more time–without end.
Mr. Collins couldn’t have put it any better. So I have nothing to add.
Tags: Business, How the mighty fall, Jim Collins, Success
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:53 am
thanks for the reminder that falling down is part of the process of getting up! As individual corporate institutional and government economic structures are rrocketing to hell in a hand basket it is important to keep with us our spirit to move forward. The unwillingness to lay down & die will bring an end to this crisis
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:47 am
Considering that my last name is Falls
this was especially enjoyable.
This is the exact message that most of
us need to hear.
Success isn’t about avoiding failure
(which is what we learn from) it’s
about pressing on with what will work.
Thanks for the reminder.
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:48 am
Yes just like falling into depression when losing a loved one to death and then resiliently coming back to embrace life and all the joys it brings.
Thank you for the wonderful message of hope to rise up again.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:12 am
Great info!
A Setback is always a Set-up for a Comeback.
Never let the Dragons and the Vampires sap your Dreams,Vision and Energy. This is the core trait ALL Champions have. Anyone can give up, surrender and let life OWN you! Only the few Nuggets will be strong enough to OWN Life!
This Belief system has helped me bounds in my personal, social and business life.
July 3rd, 2009 at 8:57 am
Thanks Wanda I agree. The unwillingness to lay down and die WILL bring an end to this crisis. I’ve always thought of myself as persistant, and this article reminds me that I need a structure to remember that, when I have just been take down a notch.
July 3rd, 2009 at 9:22 am
IT’S UP TO ME
I get discouraged now and then
When there are clouds of gray,
Until I think about the things
That happened yesterday.
I do not mean the day before
Or those of months ago,
But all the yesterdays in which
I had the chance to grow
I think of opportunities
That I allowed to die,
And those I took advantage of
Before they passed me by.
And I remember that the past
Presented quite a plight,
But somehow I endured it and
The future seemed all right.
And I remind myself that I
Am capable and free,
And my success and happiness
Are really up to me.
~~James J.Metcalfe
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Thanks for telling and sharing that falling down is common to experience in business. I have been building my business and have experienced lots of downturns, I wanted to give up so many times and confinced myself that I just can not do this business, that I lack of capital and resources. But here I am, still doing it, even more excited in doing it. And today, knowing that even the Mighty is the same is trully giving me spirit. I can do it then, just like them. Cause we just the same. Just move forward!
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Falling downs is not entirely the end of the world for anyone else be it an institution or personal career and business.Recovering is another thing which manifest one’s inner courage and strenght to rise up to the challenges in life and in business and becoming even more stronger and wiser!
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I grew up where failure was not an option.
Then in my spiritual pursuits, it is said that if you fail, it’s because you had wrong thoughts, lack of faith, or bad karma.
What if ‘failure’ is part of success and happiness?
What if falling down means that when you get back up, there is something even greater waiting for you?
What if I fell down, only to stand up and triumph?
I am learning to honor ‘failure’.
Thank you for encouraging a new mind-set.
Blessings!
July 3rd, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Awesome!
July 4th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I am 61 and a half, so you know I’ve fallen down a few times; my knees are not as strong, but weak neither. My dream is to go skydiving on December 23, 2047 on my 100th birthday. By then whatever happens, happens. But in the meantime I keep putting one foot in front of the other knowing that failure is simply part of a bigger plan… with all things working together, prayfully,for good but we’ll never make it if we stop living. So if you’re above ground, be happy, live another day and chance on doing something worthwhile. Then you can’t fail. We’re blessed. Failure comes when we forget that.
July 6th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Thanks, all of you for your comments. Those are great insights. I really appreciate it! Jeff