The positive side of getting fired

The famous British author W. Somerset Maugham liked to tell this story about a young priest of St. Peter's Church in London, who after discovering that the church's janitor was illiterate, fired him.

Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny tobacco shop where he immediately prospered. He then bought another shop, then another and still another, until he owned a large chain of tobacco stores all over Britain.

One day, he dined in a fancy private club with his banker, who stated, "You have done quite well for an illiterate man. I wonder where you would be today if you could read and write."

"That's easy," replied the man, "I'd still be the janitor in St. Peter's Church in Neville Square."

The world is full of stories of people who were fired and landed on their feet. Mozart was fired as a musician in the court of the prince-archbishop of Salzburg. Oprah Winfrey lost her job as a news reporter at a Baltimore TV station when her producer thought she was a poor fit for her job. Walt Disney was fired as a cartoonist by the Kansas City Star newspaper because he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas."

I interviewed and featured 29 famous Americans in my book "We Got Fired! … And It's the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us."  Since my book, I have discovered many other highly successful people who were fired and landed on their feet.

For example, Anna Wintour, best known as the editor of Vogue magazine, was fired from her junior level editorial role at Harper's Bazaar. She now tells students that she believes everyone should get fired if they really want to grow.

Billionaire "Shark Tank" investor Mark Cuban was sharing an apartment with five buddies and working as a salesman at a computer store in the early 1980s when he was fired. From that point on, he knew he never wanted to work for anyone else and started his own company, MicroSolutions, which he sold for $6 million to CompuServe. The rest is history. 

Sallie Krawcheck is one of the most powerful women on Wall Street and the founder of Ellevate Network (formerly 85 Broads), following her ouster as head of Merrill Lynch's global wealth management division in 2011. The firing helped her realize she needed to spend more time with her children. She said: "And, on the professional front, it taught me to look at business opportunities through the lens of the broader positive impact they can have, given the trade-offs we are forced to make in pursuing them."

Being fired can often be a blessing in disguise, even though it might not seem like it. Here are several reasons why getting fired can be beneficial:

It's an opportunity for self-reflection. When you lose a job, it forces you to take a step back and evaluate your career path, skills and goals. This self-reflection can lead to valuable insights about what you truly want and where your strengths lie.

It can be a push to pursue passions. Many people, like J.K. Rowling and Ray Kroc, discovered their true passions and achieved remarkable success after being fired. Losing a job can be the catalyst that pushes you to pursue what you genuinely love.

It can lead to learning and growth. Being fired can teach resilience and adaptability. It often requires you to develop new skills and perspectives, which can be invaluable in your future endeavors. 

It makes way for new opportunities. Sometimes, being fired can open doors to new and better opportunities that you might not have considered otherwise. Michael Bloomberg, for instance, went on to build a financial information empire after being let go from Salomon Brothers.

It can strengthen values. Dr. Bernadine Healy, former president of the American Red Cross, believed that being fired can challenge you to examine your fortitude and commitment to your values. 

It builds resilience. The experience of being fired and bouncing back can teach you how to handle rejection, manage uncertainty and keep moving forward despite setbacks.

It can expand your network and connections. Often, the process of finding a new job after being fired can lead to expanding your professional network. New connections can bring fresh opportunities and insights that you wouldn't have encountered otherwise.

It promotes personal growth. The emotional and psychological journey of recovering from being fired can lead to significant personal growth. It can help you develop a stronger sense of self-worth and confidence in your ability to overcome challenges.

Mackay's Moral: Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to be pushed out of your comfort zone.

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Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times bestseller "Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive." He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com, by emailing harvey@mackay.com or by writing him at MackayMitchell Envelope Co., 2100 Elm St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414.