[One Thousand Characters a Day] Work Life Is the Ultimate Practice <2>

Editor's NoteThe author advises Korean office workers to consider "the entire process from the battle of commuting to the journey home after company dinners as a practice that strengthens mental health." Furthermore, the author emphasizes not just thinking this once and moving on, but continuously repeating this mindset from the painful moment when the alarm rings in the morning through all the painful moments encountered during work life. What has happened cannot be helped. It is more helpful for a rebound to accept things as they are rather than worrying, regretting, or resisting events beyond our control. Word count: 1005 characters.

Successful leaders do not resist failure. They are people who have experienced many failures during at least 10 years of working life. And since they are human, there were many days when they felt heartbroken and swallowed their frustration alone because of those failures. However, they overcame those failures, stood in leadership positions, and continue their work life by overcoming new failures. The way successful workplace leaders overcome failure is by accepting the failure as it is without resistance. Many leaders I have encountered shared a common phrase during tough times: "Since it has already happened, I have to accept it. What other choice is there?"

The expression may vary slightly from person to person, but the meaning was mostly the same. Unless you are a god, what has happened cannot be undone. Yet many people resist when unwanted situations occur. That resistance may be a reckless attempt to turn things back or self-blame or regret about the cause of the event. Those who have experienced the world enough realize that such behaviors are futile. Rather, they are actions that hinder recovery from failure. Successful leaders know from their work experience that resisting what has happened is utterly useless. When unwanted events occur, they calmly accept them and instead focus more on what to do next.

Successful leaders do not blame others when they experience failure. A leader is both a decision-maker and a person responsible. Whether the problem originated from their own mistake, a member of the organization, or even an accident with no one's fault, if it is related to their organization, they know they must take responsibility. Since a company is an organizational society, responsibility inevitably falls on the leader at the top. At that time, whether they think it was their mistake or that they failed in managing their employees, thinking that it is entirely their responsibility makes mental management much easier.

－Jeong Hae-seung, <Work Life Is the Best Practice>, Hermon House, 17,000 KRW

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