Embracing and pushing through severe hardship, rather than avoiding it, forges character. It uncovers your hidden resilience, identifies your loyal allies, and provides a psychological inoculation against future challenges.

Success requires resilience, which is built by experiencing and recovering from small failures. Engaging in activities with public stakes, like sports or public speaking, teaches you to handle losses, bounce back quickly, and develop the mental fortitude needed for high-stakes endeavors.

Resilience isn't about avoiding failure but about developing the ability to recover from it swiftly. Experiencing public failure and learning to move on builds a crucial 'muscle' for rebounding. This capacity to bounce back from a loss is more critical for long-term success than maintaining a perfect record.

The ability to be vulnerable and authentic as a leader often isn't a sudden "aha" moment. It is the cumulative result of navigating significant professional failures and profound personal challenges. These events strip away ego and force a re-evaluation of priorities, leading to genuine empathy.

A single, intense childhood experience—being forced to complete a grueling 100-mile bike ride—instilled a lifelong operating principle for Dean Otto. This "Finish the Ride" mentality became a subconscious, reflexive driver that helped him overcome immense adult adversity, proving the lasting power of early character-building moments.

To earn respect as a family successor, A.G. Sulzberger intentionally adopted a low-status approach. He accepted thankless assignments, respected the hierarchy, and constantly solicited candid feedback, proving his commitment was to the work, not his title. This built trust organically.

Success at the leadership level requires a developed tolerance for pressure and uncertainty—a skill the CEO calls a 'stomach' for it. This resilience is a distinct capability, and its absence can cause even the most intelligent and talented individuals to fail under pressure, making it a crucial trait for high-stakes roles.

True leadership is revealed not during prosperity but adversity. A “wartime general” absorbs pressure from difficult clients or situations, creating a safe environment for their team. They don't pass down fear, which distinguishes them from “peacetime generals” who only thrive when things are good.

Yang's early career was a series of stumbles: a failed startup, another company running out of money, and side hustles. He believes these repeated, smaller-scale failures toughened him up, building the resilience necessary to withstand the pressures of a presidential campaign.