Great Failures....

[Avdhoot]

Great Failures....

To succeed in business or life we must continually take remedial
actions. Putting yourself on the line day after day can be extremely
draining, especially when things do not work out as desired. Hence,
each time a disappointing event happens, I like to get reminded of
these famous failures:

Bill Gates founder and chairman of Microsoft, has literally changed
the work culture of the world in the 21st century, by simplifying the
way computer is being used. He was the world's richest man for more
than one decade. However, in the 1970's before starting out, he was a
Harvard University dropout. The most ironic part is that, he started a
software company (that was soon to become Microsoft) by purchasing the
software technology from "someone" for only $US50 back then.

Abraham Lincoln received no more than 5 years of formal education
throughout his lifetime. When he grew up, he joined politics and had
12 major failures before he was elected the 16th President of the
United States of America.

Isaac Newton was the greatest English mathematician of his generation.
His work on optics and gravitation made him one of the greatest
scientists the world has even known. Many thought that Isaac was born
a genius, but he wasn't! When he was young, he did very poorly in
grade school, so poor that his teachers became clueless in improving
his grades.

Ludwig van Beethoven, a German composer of classical music, is widely
regarded as one of history's supreme composers. His reputation has
inspired ? and in many cases intimidated ? composers, musicians and
audiences who were to come after him. Before the start of his career,
Beethoven's music teacher once said of him "as a composer, he is
hopeless". And during his career, he lost his hearing yet he managed
to produce great music ? a deaf man composing music, ironic isn't!

Thomas Edison who developed many devices that greatly influenced life
in the 20th century. Edison is considered one of the most prolific
inventors in history, holding 1,093 U.S patents to his name. When he
was a boy his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything.
When he set out on his own, he tried more than 9,000 experiments
before he created the first successful light bulb.

The Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the
original five-and-ten- cent stores. The first Woolworth's store was
founded in 1878 by Frank Winfield Woolworth and soon grew to become
one of the largest retail chains in the world in the 20th century.
Before starting his own business, Woolworth got a job in a dry goods
store when he was 21. But his employer would not let him serve any
customer because he concluded that Frank "didn't have enough common
sense to serve the customers".

By acclamation, Michael Jordon is the greatest basketball player of
all time. A phenomenal athlete with a unique combination of grace,
speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability and an unquenchable
competitive desire. Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA
superstar. Before joining NBA, Jordan was just an ordinary person, so
ordinary that was he was removed from the high school basketball team
because of his "lack of skill".

Walter Disney was American film producer, director, screenwriter,
voice actor and animator. One of the most well-known motion picture
producers in the world, Disney founded a production company. The
corporation, now known as The Walt Disney Company, makes average
revenue of US $30 billion annually. Disney started his own business
from his home garage and his very first cartoon production went
bankrupt. During his first press conference, a newspaper editor
ridiculed Walt Disney because he had no good ideas in film production.

Winston Churchill failed the 6th grade. However, that never stopped
him to work harder! He strived and eventually became the Prime
Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Churchill
is generally regarded as one of the most important leaders in Britain
and world history. In a poll conducted by the BBC in 2002 to identify
the "100 Greatest Britons", participants voted Churchill as the most
important of all.

Steven Spielberg is an American film director. He has won 3 Academy
Awards and ranks among the most successful filmmakers in history. Most
of all, Steven was recognized as the financially most successful
motion picture director of all time. During his childhood, Spielberg
dropped out of junior high school. He was persuaded to come back and
was placed in a learning-disabled class. He only lasted a month and
then dropped out of school forever.

Albert Einstein was a theoretical physicist widely regarded as the
most important scientist of the 20th century. He was awarded the 1921
Nobel Prize for Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric
effect in 1905 and "for his services to Theoretical Physics". However,
when Einstein was young, his parents thought he was mentally retarded.
His grades in school were so poor that a teacher asked him to quit,
saying, "Einstein, you will never amount to anything!"

In 1947, one year into her contract, Marilyn Monroe was dropped by
20th Century-Fox because her producer thought she was unattractive and
could not act. That didn't deter her at all! She kept on going and
eventually she was recognized by the public as the 20th century's most
famous movie star, sex symbol and pop icon.

John Grisham's first novel was rejected by sixteen agents and twelve
publishing houses. He went on writing and writing until he became best
known as a novelist and author for his works of modern legal drama.
The media has coined him as one of the best novel authors even alive
in the 21st century.

Henry Ford's first two automobile companies failed. That did not stop
him from incorporating Ford Motor Company and being the first to apply
assembly line manufacturing to the production of affordable
automobiles in the world. He not only revolutionized industrial
production in the United States and Europe, but also had such
influence over the 20th century economy and society. His combination
of mass production, high wages and low prices to consumers has
initiated a management school known as "Fordism". He became one of the
three most famous and richest men in the world during his time.

Soichiro Honda was turned down by Toyota Motor Corporation during a
job interview as "engineer" after World War Two. He continued to be
jobless until his neighbours starting buying his "home-made scooters".
Subsequently, he set out on his own to start his own company. Honda.
Today, the Company has grown to become the world's largest motorcycle
manufacturer and one of the most profitable automakers - beating giant
automaker such as GM and Chrysler. With a global network of 437
subsidiaries, Honda develops, manufactures and markets a wide variety
of products ranging from small general-purpose engines and scooters to
specialty sports cars.

Akio Morita, founder of giant electric household products, Sony
Corporation, first product was an electric rice cooker, only sold 100
cookers (because it burned rice rather than cooking). Today, Sony
generates US$66 billion in revenue and ranked as the world's 6th
largest electronic and electrical company.