May has us thinking a lot about success and failure, and what it means to win. This is a time of year where lots of companies are doing year-end reviews, students are wrapping up the school year, and many of us are looking ahead to the halfway point in the year and reflecting on our personal or professional goals. We hope these articles get you thinking about what success can look like and how we can envision a future where more people can succeed on their own terms.
Why Winning Doesn't Always Equal Success
When it comes to college sports, usually winning and success are seen as the same thing. Legendary UCLA Gymnastics Coach Valorie Kondos Field learned a lot in her first few years of coaching from the athletes she worked with and the cost of a win-at-all-costs attitude when it comes to true success. Her 2019 TEDWomen talk focuses on the importance of building champions not for our business or team, but for our world.
"We have become so hyperfocused on that end result, and when the end result is a win, the human component of how we got there often gets swept under the proverbial rug, and so does the damage."
- Valorie Kondos Field, former UCLA Gymnastics Coach, Pac-12 Coach of the Century
Basketball Player Giannis's Perspective on Failure
There's a lot to love about Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, but his perspectives and insights about failure really had us cheering. Giannis was asked at a press conference if he considered the most recent NBA season a failure for the Bucks, and his response went viral. Turns out he's quick on his feet on and off the court!
““There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days. Some days you’re able to be successful, some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn, some days it’s not your turn. That’s what sports is about. You don’t always win. Some other people are going to win. And this year, somebody (else) is going to win.”
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, two-time NBA MVP and 2021 NBA champion, Milwaukee Bucks
Is This Elementary School Near Pittsburgh the Future of Education?
The best children's museums promote curiosity and learning, just like the best classrooms, so it's no surprise that when you mix those two things together, you get a real education revolution. That's exactly what's happening at Ehrman Crest Elementary and Middle School, a collaboration between the Seneca Valley School District and the Pittsburgh Children's Museum. We love the way the school is thinking about growth mindset and student-defined success, in a colourful and dynamic space!
“We strive to teach the process of learning and not just focus on the end product; this promotes a growth mindset and learning from our mistakes. This progress is certainly a part of the overall vision, which is that the school will be a sustainable, safe and dynamic context for learning that engages unique minds in diverse ways and is reflective of the community."
-Lauri Pendred, Principal of Ehrman Crest Elementary School
The Blind Women Detecting Early Stage Breast Cancer in India
While blindness can be seen as a disability or deficit, Dr. Frank Hoffman, a German gynaecologist, recognized the potential that the skills required to read braille and navigate the world by touch could be uniquely beneficial when it comes to detecting breast cancer. The Medical Tactile Examiner (MTE) program in India trains blind women to support traditional screening programs and help make breast cancer screening more available, affordable, and comfortable for patients. While still in the early stages of adoption, studies support the effectiveness of the approach, and Indian medical professionals are very optimistic about the potential positive impact in the future. The program also creates meaningful opportunities for skilled employment for blind women, addressing high rates of unemployment and combatting discrimination against disabled people. Sounds like success on a lot of fronts to us!
“Maybe then someday people will stop asking us how you commute, how you use your laptop, and understand that we don't always go to the hospital for treatment. We can go there to work."
-Meenakshi Gupta, Medical Tactile Examiner