There is something very special about taking summer holidays abroad. For me, it’s a time to relax, recuperate, see new sights, take in new cultures, eat great food, have a few beers by the pool, sunbathe a little, absorb different cultures and gather my thoughts. The latter is my favourite.
I’m not one to sit and do nothing for too long, and yes, I’ll admit that I still do some work and keep in touch with my clients to ensure that their claims are on track. Thank you, Wi-Fi! Where would we be without you?
But perhaps the most important part of any vacation for me (especially the summer), is the time afforded to read and absorb new ideas. You will know by now that I love reading, especially books on success, psychology, personal and business achievement and marketing. I am just fascinated with the workings of the mind and what makes us tick.
So a couple of days into my summer holiday, in a glorious part of Southern Spain, up in the hills overlooking a splendid lake, I have already polished off two excellent books. I didn’t know that the subject matter would be so closely intertwined, but they work so well together.
The first, Ego is the Enemy, is the new book by Ryan Holiday, who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. We all have an ego whether we are aware of it or not. Our ego can blind us to our own faults, especially when we are successful (however we perceive that to be).
Conversely, our ego can be devastating in our moments of failure, making it all the more difficult to recover. We need to understand our ego and ensure we are not enslaved to it as the modern-day society of instant fame and gratification would have you think.
Holiday shows, with examples, that we should all try to remain humble in our aspirations, gracious in our success and resilient in our failure. This is not at all easy when our culture “fans the flames of ego and encourages the cult of personality”.
The second is the latest book by Matthew Syed, called Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About Success. Syed writes about the ‘science’ behind success and incremental learning. This book is inextricably linked with Ego is the Enemy, and here we learn that only those people, businesses and organisations that accept failure as part of the learning curve — and do not let their ego and culture get in the way — can ever succeed and demonstrate success. It is only through accepting failure that we learn, and by acting on our failures that we can possibly improve. The book is a fascinating insight into the learning culture in the medical profession, the judicial system and corporate organisations. Those that accept failure as an opportunity to learn,
It is only through accepting failure that we learn — and by acting on our failures that we can possibly improve.
and do not beat up on themselves or their people, grow and succeed.
I operate in world of ‘experts’ in their field, from insurance and law to construction. Everyone thinks they are right most of the time, and oftentimes in negotiation refuse to see the other’s point of view. My professional world can be very contentious, and egos frequently get in the way. Loss adjusters can be the most stubborn people you will ever come across, and insurers will dig their heels in if they feel they are right on a technical point even when we can prove otherwise. As in all negotiations, egos get in the way, but it is imperative to set ego aside and take a pragmatic approach so a claim can move on.
To succeed in life, we must set aside our egos, accept our failures with grace, learn from them and grow to succeed.
Time for another book, I think.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Steve Lazarus
