A recently search on leadership produced a list of quotes from Zig Ziglar identified as “Quotes that can Change Your Life.” Naturally, I was intrigued, so I spent a few moments to consider a few of these powerful and life-changing thoughts.

One specific statement that grabbed my attention was important enough to share: “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.” Zig Ziglar

Consider how many times we’ve heard people refer to themselves or someone else as a failure. Because they did not succeed at a specific task, get a promotion, or achieve a desired grade, they did not see the event as a failure, but themselves.

Sadly, we tend to carry this mentality over to the way we view other people. When others do not live up to “our” expectations or desires, we see them as a failure. Even worse is the fact that the way we see others often affects the way others see themselves.

Quality leaders learn from the events (failures) in life and build their own character, or the character of someone else, to ultimately succeed.