Abraham Lincoln’s lessons on failure and rejection

How do you deal with loss? How do you handle failure? What do you do when you encounter rejection? These questions are fundamental in business as well as in every aspect of life. They are also questions that we would rather not deal with even though they will certainly have to at one time or another. In business, when most people think about setting up, they, invariably, are glued entirely how successful and profitable the enterprise will be. It is good, it is positive; but it is not comprehensive. In fact, it is woefully incomprehensive to think so, especially in the business world where 82 per cent of startups fail. The flip side is the fruits of the endeavour. The only cure to loss is coming back and trying again. The falling and rising and trying another way, crazy as it sounds is the key ingredient of succeeding, especially in the face of adversity. As American’s would say; it is the stern stuff comeback kids are made of. None exemplifies this better than the great American president – Abraham Lincoln. To say that Lincoln came from a humble background would be a serious understatement. In 1816, his family was forced out of their home and the young Abraham had to work to support the family and in 1818, his mother died. From then on a litany of failures punctuated by one or two successes followed him. If he was an African then, someone would have said that he had been bewitched! He failed in business twice, in 1831 and in 1833, resulting in a debt that took him 17 years to repay. He was engaged for marriage in 1835 but his fiancée died resulting in a six-month nervous breakdown. As a politician, he contested… and lost a total of seven elections at various levels, ranging from state legislature (the equivalent of our councilor), legislature speaker, and senator to the Vice President nominee, between 1832 and 1856. You can imagine losing seven times! He won once or twice in between but seven losses just over the top. You’d expect him to be battered and beat. But in 1860, Abraham Lincoln contested and was elected President of the United States! As a Kenyan politician, Masinde Muliro once said, a politician who does not want to be president has no business being in politics. The presidency is the greatest trophy in politics. Abraham Lincoln was more than just a President. He is one of the all-time greatest presidents of America who skillfully guided the nation through abolition of slavery and a civil war that threatened to divide it.From the Lincoln story, one could argue that his greatness may have stemmed from the tribulations he faced. His response to the losses, defeats, and rejection that he faced before being President very much shaped the cool level-headed character that he displayed in the face of the confederate rebellion.Losses, defeats and rejection will happen to even the best of us. What counts is how we respond to them. The chutzpah (audacity) to confront adversity is the bridge that links you to success. This is true in business as it is for organisations and governments. But rising after falling into adversity does not mean repeating mistakes. After all, doing the same thing in the same manner is the other definition of madness. Lincoln tried the state legislature, the senate, business and employment. The tenacity of spirit should come with flexibility. One last Lincolnian lesson: think long term thinking. Adversity looks huge if time and space are not brought into play. You must set out a target and then work out how to get there. Seek help where necessary, but to be truly successful the bulk of the work must be yours. The aid approach is emasculating and develops people and nations who duck issues.Are failure, loss and rejection, in whatever form, the worst things you will have to deal with? No, fear of losing is. You gotta come back. Courage!