The key, is to learn from the different mistakes that you made in the past and do not dwell on them in the future. Instead, you must move forward, to achieve your goals. A good example of this can be seen with the actor and director Michael Landon. Before he became the confident man that was often seen on the television show Little House on the Prairie. He was a skinny, awkward youth that was from a broken household. Where, his parents would fight consistently and Michael's mother was known for being possessive as well emotionally unstable. When he would try to hang out with friends, she would follow him and jump out of her car, beating him with a hanger. In the tenth grade everything would change, as Michael began to discover that he was a talented javelin thrower. This would give him a sense of purpose to go beyond, his current issues and see what he truly could become. Over the next two years, Landon would focus on becoming one of the best javelin throwers in the country. This would catch the attention of the scouts, at the University of Southern California, who recruited him. In his freshman year, everything was different, as he no longer fit in and was seen as an outsider. Physically he was unpopular because of his long hair. During the 1950's (when he was at USC), this was considered to be uncouth, as several members...
After the event, he tried to move forward, but was constantly harassed and then he became injured. The situation became so difficult, that Landon was forced to drop our school. To support himself, he would work unloading freight at factory. One day at work, he was spotted by a Hollywood talent agent, who asked him to try out for the part of Little Jo Cartwright (on a new television show called Bonanza). Once he received the part, his life as an actor and director would take shape from there. (Robbins, 1991, pp. 2854-285) What this shows, is that great leaders learn from their experiences to help push them forward. As the different failures and setbacks, hold the seeds for future successes. The life of Michael Landon is an excellent example of learning from the past and never losing faith, no matter what happens.
Bibliography
Great Leaders are Made. (2005). Stanford University. Retrieved from: http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/headlines/vftt_powell.shtml
Leaders are Made Not Born. (2003). Business Week. Retrieved from: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_07/b3820038_mz005.htm
Robbins, A. (1991). Creating a Compelling Future. Awaken the Giant Within. (pp. 284 -- 285). New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
