Most people want to follow a linear path in life. But if you look at the most successful careers in history, most of them had serious ups and downs. Firings, deaths in the family, criminal scandals, and other issues rocked these individuals. And yet, somehow, they managed to come back even stronger.
Here are some of the careers of geniuses you should explore and the lessons they teach us:
Steve Jobs
Top of the list has to be Steve Jobs, perhaps the most iconic entrepreneur of all time. He started Apple computers in the 1970s but had to leave during the 1980s because of various conflicts he created.
Then, astonishingly, when the company was on the rocks in the late 1990s, the board asked for him back. Then, he went on to build several culture-defining products that we still know and love today.
The lesson here is about rejection. While it might happen during your career, it is often something that enables the development of deeper skills and understanding. Once you process it and understand what’s driving it, it opens up new opportunities in the future.
J.K. Rowling
Now a billionaire, J.K. Rowling was once the classic starving artist. She faced many refusals by publishers to print her Harry Potter series, receiving letters from up to a dozen houses telling her “no” and that her ideas were nonsense or derivative.
Finally, a small publishing house decided to run with her book. It began selling like hotcakes, leading to a follow-up advertising campaign and then ultimately national success and recognition.
Rowling’s career lesson is that persistence pays off. Sometimes, you just have to keep going so that you can find the person who will finally say yes and change everything for you.
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is a music producer in New York who was prolific in the 1970s and 1980s. During that period, his record label sacked him for alleged misconduct, which he denies.
Consequently, he later set up another label and eventually began working with the biggest stars of the era, like Aretha Franklin.
What Clive’s experience shows is that even scandal isn’t enough to derail a successful career. Despite the challenges he faced in the industry, he continued to do his work and eventually signed many of the largest artists in the country.
Robert Downey Jr.
How could we skip the incredible career highs and lows of Robert Downey Jr.? His fall came in the late 1990s after starring in a series of films and TV productions when substance abuse took over his life. Hollywood refused to employ him for many roles since his habits off-screen were well-known.
However, he managed to turn things around after landing his iconic role in the first Iron Man film in 2008. This movie was a massive success (widely regarded as one of the best in the entire Marvel series).
The lesson here is that redemption is possible. Downey Jr. put in enormous effort to get over his substance abuse issues and return to the limelight.
You must log in to post a comment.