Small Town, Big Success

I'm reading a great new book, one I recommend to everyone: On Becoming a Leader, by Warren Bennis. I don't recommend this book because we need a world full of leaders, but we should at least be able to recognize the characteristics that distinguish real leaders and true talent.

The book references a survey Victor and Mildred Goertzel conducted on successful people from a wide range of backgrounds. They found out a lot of interesting things, among them were that most successful men and women came from small towns or villages.

This reminded me of an interesting thought I came up with after moving to the city for college. I had made several friends, specifically a couple who had grown up in cities. We talked at great length about the differences in our upbringings.

Children who grow up in small towns or villages, like myself, have to create ways to amuse themselves. We are not faced with the pleasant distractions of city life. My childhood friends and I would often spend hours discussing what few things we could do. We were forced to be creative, and often weren't able to think of anything. We cursed our boredom, but many of us overcame this and found passions worth pursuing.

Bored? Why not make a gigantic snowman?

Conversely, some city friends were "blessed" with many more options. They didn't have the problem of boredom, being let down, or not having anything fun to do. In contrast, they were quite spoiled. They were less likely to use their imaginations, they didn't need to since there was already so much for them.

How does this relate to success? As a "small town boy," I was used to not getting what I wanted. I was also taught, that if I wanted something, like a good time, or a fun day out with my friends, that would require some effort or even creativity on my part. Even with effort, I might fail. So I learned two lessons: how to work hard to get what I want, and how to cope with failure despite earnest efforts.

Conversely, I was surprised to see city friends who, after working hard and coming up short on something would be emotionally devastated, then quit altogether. They had grown up where things they wanted had always been easier to reach. The idea of working hard for something and then failing was not something they were used to. Experiencing failure in college was devastating for them.

Previously, I had thought that the boredom of my small town childhood was a blessing because it enabled me to better enjoy life later on. It helped me deal with the stresses associated with college life at a competitive university. After reading the book, I realize this might actually end up doing more for me in the future. My vision, my determination to be great, and my will power are all things that I can credit to my childhood. They are all things that I will rely on to take me farther in life.