Some fans may be frustrated with Ronda Rousey's defeat against Holly Holm on November 15. Who would ever think that this undefeated UFC fighter would suffer the same fate as others who have been defeated in the peak of their career? Rousey appeared in the UFC scene in November 2012 and has immediately become one of the dominant athletes in the field of all sports.
The result of the fight between Rousey and Holm was unexpected. Everyone bet on Rousey to win the fight. Her defeat stirred many controversies and negative feedbacks from some fans and haters. The supposed-to-be public adulation turned to scorn and people went crazy revealing her defeat to the world. But, what happened next after that defeat was quite fascinating. Nobody expected that the defeat holds lessons for entrepreneurs.
To Build a Hero is Knocking One Down
Rousey became a dominant figure in the field of UFC sports. She has a long and interesting history to taunt her opponents and make self-assured statements to the media. Fans and haters have made aired their expectations about the fight. And when the result was revealed worldwide, regular fans unexpectedly jump on negative ideas and comments against her.
That reaction was quite interesting. Why the sudden change? According to Forbes, this is the lesson that entrepreneurs and leaders should learn when they are on top of their career. In business, success is followed by change not only to the system but also to the person who has worked hard to achieve it. However, sometimes success is not as sustainable as you think it is. You can be on the peak of your career now, but who knows?
The human mind is expected to believe in its own hype. When success strikes, that's where arrogance grows. It creates a sense of Schadenfreude, a term used to describe pleasure which is derived from others' misfortune. Fans may love Rousey for her abilities, but there are always jealousy and resentment following closely behind.
In business, it's not about the failures. It's about facing the struggles despite the difficulties. Rousey's legacy at UFC will never be measured by her winning, but will be defined by how she reacts to the situation and how she handles failures in a rational way.
Entrepreneurs should learn from that so they won't succumb easily to defeat.
