“Success builds character, failure reveals it.” -Dave Checkett
This post is a bit different than what we usually do on this blog. Instead of focusing on how to develop a skill, this post is about recognizing individual character.
The Caliber of Unreasonable Applicants. It’s a tremendously exciting time for us at the Unreasonable Institute. We’re in the process of interviewing the 65 candidates we selected from an initial pool of 284 applicants from 45 countries. The caliber of ideas and of people is truly exceptional and we can hardly believe that many of these entrepreneurs are taking the time to talk with us. What really speaks to the caliber of these folks is actually the personal integrity and graciousness of the applicants we did not accept.
We received a number of warm and kind emails from applicants who did not make it past the first round of review. These applicants expressed their honest disappointment about not being accepted, but indicated they will carry on with their ventures and that they hope to cross paths in the future. They sincerely thanked us for our consideration and many indicated that the application process itself was a valuable learning experience for them.
These emails came from true entrepreneurs. They came from entrepreneurs who remain persistent in the face of rejection, who are confident enough to be dignified, and who have a powerfully compelling ability to empathize. Most impressively, despite our rejecting them, they still thanked us for the opportunity.
No my friends, thank you. I am truly touched by your genuine willingness to learn from the experience and honored to rub shoulders with such remarkable human beings.
Wisdom from My Father. As I mentioned to a number of the applicants who wrote us these emails, my father always told me “Son, whatever your accomplishments in life, whatever reputation you build, what matters more than anything in life is that you are a good person.” Receiving these notes from applicants we turned away was truly a poignant reminder of his words and of how inspirational a truly good human being can be. I have little doubt that many of these applicants will go on to create tremendous social impact, even without the Unreasonable Institute, because of their deep human integrity.
Handling rejection with dignity, as many of these applicants did, is something we can all learn from. Here are a few good places to start:
- How to Lose Like a Winner
- How to Handle Rejection from the Financial Times
