Nobody liked it.
It didn’t make money.
Four different people tried to guide it.
It took 10 years before it became profitable.
“It” is The Wizard of Oz, a movie that creates a warm feeling in most of us.
Why talk about a movie made in 1939 and one that seems pretty set in the public’s mind as a great thing?
The Wizard is a great example of perseverance, of pushing on when things get tough.
These are just a few of the things that happened in making and launching the movie:
- As they were making the movie, one of the lead actors had to leave his role and be replaced by someone else
- The studio hated the song Over the Rainbow and wanted it cut (thinking about that now, I cannot even imagine such a crazy suggestion).
- Four different directors were at the helm at any one point in time.
The reason The Wizard of Oz succeeded despite every adversity thrown at it is because the people in charge had the confidence to look failure in the eye, face the tough questions and yet still had confidence in its (and their) success.
As we discussed the other week, this attribute—to believe that in the end you will succeed while fighting through failure and tough, ugly issues—is the difference between individuals who succeed or fail.
As you hit the tough patches your business will certainly encounter, go nose-to-nose with the tough questions. Look at the tough answers and act on them. And be firm in your conviction that—in the end—you will succeed.