Each minute of our life is a lesson but most of us fail to read it. I thought I would just add my daily lessons and the lessons that I learned by seeing the people around here. So it may be useful for you and as memories for me.
It’s easy to clap when someone is winning; it’s rare to stay when they’re not.
In two decades of my professional journey, I’ve seen the greatest fade after a single failure—despite their effort, success, and sacrifice. This is my reflection on why applause is temporary, loyalty is rare, and how leaders can show up when the winning stops.
The Rooster Story
Once, this rooster was worth millions.
Every victory brought applause, food, and comfort.
But the moment it lost, everything vanished.
No roof. No praise. No people.
Just silence. Forgotten.
Isn’t that how our professional and personal lives work too? When we’re winning, the crowd swells. When we stumble, the room gets smaller.
Applause is temporary. Character is tested in the silence after the cheering stops.
In my 20-year professional journey, I’ve watched some of the greatest of the greats fade from the spotlight after a single failure—irrespective of their effort, past success, or sacrifice.
Talent wasn’t the issue. Commitment wasn’t the issue. The issue was how quickly we, as teams and communities, move on when the scoreboard turns against someone.
Those moments shaped my leadership over the last decade.
What Failure Taught Me
- Performance wins attention; presence wins trust. Anyone can congratulate you after the trophy. Few will sit with you in the locker room after a loss.
- Results matter—but so do attempts. We learn more from courageous tries than from safe wins.
- Teams thrive when effort is remembered. Recognition should not vanish with a rough sprint, a missed target, or a bad quarter.
My Leadership Commitments (and What I Expect of Myself)
- Recognise consistently, not conditionally. Celebrate wins, yes—but also name the effort when outcomes fall short.
- Stand by people in hard times. Reviews, coaching, resources, and cover—especially when someone is hurting or burnt out.
- Hold a long memory for contribution. Don’t let a single failure erase years of service, loyalty, and craft.
- Practice gratitude out loud. Appreciation shouldn’t be assumed; it should be heard.
- Protect wellbeing as fiercely as targets. Burnout is not a badge. Recovery is part of high performance.
How You Can Lead Differently (Starting Today)
- Name three efforts from your team this week that deserve appreciation—regardless of outcome.
- Check in privately with one person who’s had a tough sprint or review. Ask, “What do you need from me right now?”
- Make recognition repeatable: add a 3-minute “effort spotlight” to your weekly stand-up.
- Track contributions over time: keep a running log so a bad month doesn’t rewrite a good year.
- Normalize recovery: plan rest after big pushes the same way you plan delivery.
Don’t just celebrate the wins. Stand with people when the noise fades. That’s where leadership begins.
Beyond Success
The world moves on quickly. That’s the painful truth. But we don’t have to.
In our careers, friendships, families, and teams, we can choose to be the few who stay when the winning ends. That’s how trust is built. That’s how cultures last.
If this resonates with you, pass it forward—recognise someone today for their effort, not just their outcomes.
Who stood by you when the winning stopped?
Drop their name (and a thank-you) in the comments. Let’s make loyalty visible.
If you wanna share your experiences, you can find me online in all your favorite places LinkedIn and Facebook. Shoot me a DM, a tweet, a comment, or whatever works best for you. I’ll be the one trying to figure out how to read books and get better at playing ping pong at the same time.
Thoughts To Inspire 