Well, it still is October. This traditionally has been the month to remember the explorer Christopher Columbus. I am aware that in some areas the day we usually have celebrated as Columbus Day is now Indigenous Peoples Day. As a person of Italian heritage on Columbus Day, and always interested in life and stress management issues, I sometimes ponder what life lessons we can learn from Christopher Columbus. Well, several years ago I was fortunate enough to come across this enlightening post on the very topic from Mr. Larry Boyer. He is a regular LinkedIn Top Contributor. I have chosen to reproduce much of it each October. Again, I am aware of the negative legacy of colonialism. However, for its time, the voyage of Columbus was a challenging and dangerous mission given the state of the 15th century world.
More than 500 years ago Christopher Columbus set sail and reached the Americas. Was this a grand achievement for a man, a nation, humanity or generations to come? What are the lesson of personal achievement and leadership that Christopher Columbus has taught us?
Today we focus so much on the activity, the man, his deeds, and the legacy that we can miss the deeper importance of Christopher Columbus. Did Columbus really discover America? Did someone else? Of course, not. After all, the continent was here long before he arrived. And so were the native inhabitants. If he thought he discovered India did he really discover America? Was America in fact really “discovered”? What about the treatment of the natives by Columbus and those who followed him? Christopher Columbus was revered by and inspired generations for reasons that are often overshadowed by today’s critiques.
So, what are life management and stress lessons learned from Columbus which we can use to help us in our own lives today?
5 Leadership Lessons from Christopher Columbus
Luck favors the prepared
Be Bold. Be Different
Ignore Nay Sayers
Find people who believe in you
Let go of the familiar and safe
LESSON ONE: Luck Favors the Prepared
Was Columbus just lucky? One of the first criticisms of successful people is they were just lucky to be at the right place at the right time. Anyone could have done the same thing. It’s just lucky this person did it and someone else didn't. Columbus was trying to sail to India and was just lucky he found something else instead.
What appears to be a lucky happenstance most often is the result of years of work and preparation. Leaders make luck happen through preparation. Columbus spent years developing his idea and going around Europe looking for financial backing. He had to believe and convince others that the world might be round. Like any successful person, Columbus spent a lot of time getting prepared for his opportunity. So, when an opportunity appears for you, be ready to both recognize it and to be able to take advantage of it. This involves planning, goal setting, prioritization, and focus. These are all key elements in managing life well and reducing stress when compared to poor planning, lack of goals, no priorities, and lack of focus. They are among the topics in our book on stress management in your life (I Can’t Take It Anymore: How To Manage Stress so It Doesn’t Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. For information about the authors, book, and other topics on stress, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com. But let’s get back to Columbus.
LESSON TWO: Be Bold. Be Different.
Columbus had a bold idea. An idea that was different from everyone else around him and certainly different from his seafaring peers. In his day ship captains kept in sight of the shore, ensuring they would not fall off the edge of the Earth or be consumed by sea monsters. Columbus understood that if he continued to do the same thing everyone else was doing, he would at best continue to get the same results as everyone else. If you want to achieve something great it is going to have to be by doing something different than what everyone else is doing.
LESSON THREE: Ignore the Naysayers
Everywhere Christopher Columbus went people laughed at him for his idea that the Earth was round as he traveled Europe looking for support. He was sent away time after time. His peers and colleagues in the sail industry thought him to be a mad man for making such suggestions. Everywhere he went sharing his idea he was dismissed, ridiculed and marginalized. It is very easy to start to listen to the voices of the naysayers. They will always be around. People who believe in their mission will ignore the naysayers and continue moving forward. It’s not just leaders who deal with naysayers. You too likely have people in your life who don’t support your goals and plans. Some of them may even be in your family. Your challenge is nonetheless to move forward with goals and dreams.
LESSON FOUR: Find People Who Believe In You
Leaders know they cannot be successful alone. They need the support of people who believe in them. Even if those people are uncertain themselves they believe enough to put themselves on the line and be part of your team. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain were the first. And then there were the people on his crew. Each of his supporters may have had different goals and objectives than Columbus, but they were all aligned in support of him in his efforts. Undoubted some were less supportive than others. It doesn't matter. Successful people use this support, whatever the level, to charge forward. Time and time again, I have discussed the need for a support network that contributes to your success. None of us can accomplish alone all that we want. Build your support network. There’s a chapter in our book on this process.
LESSON FIVE: Let Go Of The Familiar And Safe
Finally, perhaps the greatest lesson from Columbus’ leadership is to let go of what is familiar and safe and have the faith that you and your supporters will have what it takes to face the unknown, adapt, and move forward. Columbus literally did this in ways that we simply cannot replicate in today’s business world or personal world. However, we do know what it means to feel secure and not want to take chances with your career and finances and avoid taking risks. Those who let go and take a chance may fail at first. Getting up and moving forward, past your comfort zone, is where success lies. Leaders in life face their fears and move forward.
What have you learned from Columbus that you apply in your life today? I hope it is to be prepared, differentiate yourself, ignore the naysayers, develop your support network, and move out of your comfort zone. Yes, that can feel stressful but you can do it.
Best wishes in your journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For information on these and related topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com