On the sloping hills of Paso Robles, California, sits the L’Aventure vineyard. The grape vines that grow on this steep hillside must fight their way through rocky limestone soil for precious water and nutrients. The wine made from those grapes are bursting with flavor and are said to have more “character” and command a higher value than grapes grown on the valley floor that have it easy.
Struggle is a part of nature and, like great wine, character is formed through triumph over adversity. Struggle is a part of nature and, like great wine, character is formed through triumph over adversity. “The more uninspiring your origins, the more likely you are to use your imagination and invent worlds where everything seems possible,” says Starbucks founder Howard Schultz. On a cold January day in 1961 Howard Schultz’s dad, Fred, broke his ankle while working as a diaper service deliveryman. Howard was seven years old at the time and vividly remembers the accident: “That image of my father, slumped on the family couch, his leg in a cast unable to work or earn money, and ground down by the world—is still burned into my mind.”
After the accident the Schultz family had no income, no health insurance, no worker’s comp, and lived in a Brooklyn housing project. “I knew in my heart that if I was ever in a position where I could make a difference, I wouldn’t leave people behind.” Today, as the CEO and president of Starbucks, Howard Schultz is in a position to make a difference for more than 180,000 employees and their families. Schultz often tells the story of his father to explain his company’s mission and values. His father’s story frames the “why” behind the company’s initiatives. It’s the “why” behind Starbucks’ program to offer comprehensive health insurance benefits to all employees, even part- time workers. It’s the “why” behind Starbucks’ first of its kind profit-sharing plan. It’s the why behind Starbucks’ commitment to hire 10,000 veterans and to pay for college education costs. “Starbucks has become a living legacy of my dad,” says Schultz.
One of the most remarkable observations that I made while researching my new book on storytelling in business was that each and every one of the leaders I featured—from TED speakers to business legends—have all struggled in their life and they aren’t afraid to talk about it. Television producer Mark Burnett came to America with $200 in his pocket and sold T-shirts on a Venice Beach. Cinnabon president Kat Cole was raised by a single mother who struggled to makes ends meet. Ken Robinson—the educator who gave the most popular TED talk of all time—contracted polio as a child. J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame didn’t have a job and relied on Britain’s welfare system to get by. “I was as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain,” she says. Richard Branson struggled in school because he had dyslexia. In his twenties he began speaking about it publicly to offer hope to other people with the condition.
These people were undeterred by their circumstances and openly share the stories that shaped their character. By doing so, they inspire others to reach their full potential. Researchers have found that the theme of struggle and redemption is as old as civilization itself. In fact, people grow from traumatic events because our brains are wired to reframe the narrative, turning our past tragedy into an advantage.
In 1993 Dr. Dan McAdams, professor of Human Development at Northwestern University, published The Stories We Live By. Based on 10 years of research, he explores how our personal myths—internal narratives—form our identity. “The human mind is first and foremost a vehicle for storytelling. We are born with a narrating mind,” writes McAdams. McAdams identified several components of storytelling that even internal narratives must share: Characters (hero/villain), conflict, and yes, even a happy ending. When something traumatic happens in our lives, our brains kick into storytelling mode, crafting a narrative where we—the heroes—emerge “happier, better adjusted, more enlightened, or improved in some way.”
Here’s the point. If you’ve overcome adversity in your life, in your career, in your business, it’s important to share that story because your teams [partners, employees, colleagues] are hardwired to love rags-to-riches stories. And we love to hear them because we need to hear them. Embrace your history because it’s the stuff from which legends are made and legacies are left.