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Lesson #2: Never Stop Putting Up A Fight

Article Overview: “I was very committed to the people that had signed on with me and if we were going to go down, we were going to go down with a fight,” says Smith. “It wasn't going to be because I checked out and didn't finish it out.”

Lesson #2: Never Stop Putting Up A Fight

“I was very committed to the people that had signed on with me and if we were going to go down, we were going to go down with a fight,” says Smith. “It wasn't going to be because I checked out and didn't finish it out.”

Throughout the 35-year history of Federal Express, Smith has experienced his fair share of difficulties. From criticism to very public mistakes, Smith has withstood it all and has refused to give up on his dreams. “I've had all kinds of adversity, but I think you have to put those things in perspective,” says Smith. “I have to go back to my experience in the Marine Corps. My life has been a walk in the park compared to the adversity that a lot of people have seen.”

At the top of the largest overnight express delivery company in the U.S., Smith has been the target of much criticism. He is the first to admit that he has not done everything perfect all the time, saying “We’ve made some mistakes from time to time; we’ve gotten criticized.” But, Smith refuses to let criticism bother him. “What we've tried to do inside FedEx is to say that criticism is a real opportunity to improve,” he says. “When we do something wrong for a customer, that's when we really have a chance to learn how to do things better.”

Smith acknowledges that everybody has the right to their opinion, however critical that may be. However, that doesn’t mean that Smith will back down in the face of their challenge. Instead, Smith looks to the experience as a learning opportunity. “Folks are entitled to do that,” says Smith. “It's a free country, increasingly a free world, so let them take their best shot. If they're right, they may tell you something you didn't know before.”

Smith believed in his company 100% and had the conviction that was necessary to make it through the difficult times – times that he knew would always come. “Very rarely have I ever seen any business or major undertaking that goes in a straight line,” says Smith. “There's zigs and zags, victories and defeat, and you have to be propelled by that conviction that what you're doing is right and what you're doing is important, and to persevere in it. That's probably more important than anything else.”

What exactly is the key to Smith’s persistence? How does he continue to persist past his critics, face his challenges head on, and focus on the task of running his company? Sense of humour, he says. “It’s everything. I can't imagine going through life without being able to laugh at things. Even when things get bad, there's always a humorous side to it.” Smith suggests that having a sense of humour is the most important attribute somebody could have in order to get through life, “because everybody has tragedy and everybody has bad things happen. If you don't have that reservoir good will, or ability to look at yourself with a little bit of humor, I think you're missing an awful lot of life.”

Through both the good times and the bad, Smith has not only persevered, but has also had a good time along the way. “I've enjoyed every bit of putting the company together,” says Smith. “Even the bad parts I learned from. I've enjoyed it immensely, and I enjoy what I'm doing today. I enjoy running the company.”

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Article Tags: adversity, conviction, delivery company, difficult times, dreams, express delivery, fair share, federal express, fedex, marine corps, perspective, s smith, straight line, target, undertaking, walk in the park, zags, zigs



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