Success from Failure

"You can be weakened in a deadly battle and yet be stronger afterward."
Sun Tzu's The Art of War 11:7:29

Failure is needed for any successful strategy. The only way we can avoid failed strategic moves is to avoid making any strategic moves at all. Too many of us simply drift along in life. Most of us drift along at some point in our lives, avoiding conflict, and doing what is expected of us. Even with the best luck in the world, this drifting cannot win us anything. Those who drift through life never learn from adversity and failure. Only a dead fish floats downstream.

There is a misconception that to improve our position in the minds of others, we only need to do what is expected of us. This never improves how people see us. It makes us invisible. We are not seeking to become part of the crowd. A successful strategy is inventive and innovative. In some ways, we must not fit in. We must stand out. Improving our positions requires doing what others do not expect in ways that create unexpected value. This experimental approach also invites some failure.