Narrator: He was fired from three different jobs and found himself homeless, living out of his car with his young son. With just $700 to his name, borrowed from a friend, he started a business selling shampoo door-to-door to salons. That man, John Paul DeJoria, would go on to co-found two billion-dollar companies: John Paul Mitchell Systems and Patrón Tequila. His story shatters the illusion that success is a smooth, upward climb. We often see leaders at the pinnacle of their careers and assume they were destined for greatness, that their path was a straight line. But what if the journey to the top is almost always messy, unpredictable, and defined by the moments of failure, not just the moments of triumph?

In her book Getting There: How 30 Great Leaders Reached the Top, author Gillian Zoe Smith compiles intimate interviews that reveal the surprisingly turbulent and unconventional paths of some of the world's most influential figures. The book dismantles the myth of overnight success and provides a raw, honest look at the resilience, creativity, and sheer grit required to reach the highest levels of any field.

Narrator: The book's most consistent theme is that success is not a linear progression. The leaders featured did not follow a pre-written script; their careers were filled with detours, setbacks, and radical pivots. The author, Gillian Zoe Smith, experienced this herself. After law school, she was inspired by a commencement speech to follow her passion for photography, a path that eventually led her to publishing. Similarly, Leslie Moonves, the former CEO of CBS, started as a struggling actor before realizing his talents were better suited for producing and executive leadership.

Perhaps one of the most striking examples is Sara Blakely, the inventor of Spanx. Her initial goal was to become a trial attorney like her father. But after failing the LSAT twice, she felt completely lost. In a moment of desperation, she drove to Disney World and auditioned to be the character Goofy. She was too short, and ended up working at a ride at Epcot for three months before quitting. This period of aimlessness eventually led her to a job selling fax machines door-to-door, an experience that taught her resilience. It was during this time that she had her billion-dollar idea, born from the simple frustration of not having the right undergarment to wear with white pants. Her journey from aspiring lawyer to Disney character to shapewear mogul shows that the most significant opportunities often arise from the ashes of failed plans.

Narrator: A counterintuitive lesson from Getting There is that perceived disadvantages can become powerful assets. Several leaders didn't just overcome their weaknesses; they transformed them into the very skills that defined their success. Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors in history, was once terrified of public speaking. The mere thought of it made him physically ill. Recognizing this fear was a major roadblock, he forced himself to take a Dale Carnegie public-speaking course. He was so scared he would back out that he paid the $100 fee in cash. He considers that course the most important degree he has, as it gave him the confidence to communicate his ideas, a skill crucial to his entire career.

Similarly, famed lawyer David Boies attributes much of his courtroom prowess to his dyslexia. Because he couldn't read quickly or rely on notes, he was forced to develop other skills. He became an exceptional listener, able to pick up on nuances and false notes in what people were saying. In debates, he had to speak extemporaneously, which honed his ability to think on his feet and articulate complex arguments clearly. What began as a learning disability became a professional superpower, allowing him to connect with judges and juries in a way that other lawyers couldn't.

Narrator: The leaders in Getting There don't just tolerate failure; they see it as a necessary part of the process. They understand that if you aren't failing, you aren't pushing boundaries. Matthew Weiner, the creator of the acclaimed series Mad Men, spent seven years trying to get his show made. He was rejected by every major network, including HBO and Showtime. He kept the script in his desk drawer while working on other shows, refusing to give up on his vision. This long, frustrating period of rejection ultimately led him to AMC, a network that gave him complete creative control and allowed the show to become the masterpiece it was.

This embrace of failure is often instilled early. Sara Blakely’s father used to ask her and her brother at the dinner table, "What did you guys fail at this week?" If they had nothing to report, he would be disappointed. He redefined failure for them: it wasn't about a bad outcome, but about not trying in the first place. This mindset gave Blakely the courage to start Spanx with just $5,000 in savings and to persevere through countless rejections from manufacturers who told her the idea would never work.

Narrator: When faced with a closed door, the leaders in this book didn't wait for someone to open it; they found another way in. Anderson Cooper’s entry into journalism is a masterclass in creating one's own opportunity. After graduating from Yale, he couldn't get an entry-level job at any major network. Frustrated, he decided to stop asking for permission. He quit his fact-checking job, borrowed a home video camera, and created a fake press pass. He then flew to war-torn regions like Burma and Somalia, filming his own news stories. He sold this raw, dangerous footage to a small news network, Channel One, for a pittance. His initiative and willingness to take immense risks were what launched his career, proving that when the traditional path is blocked, the most determined individuals forge their own.

This same spirit is seen in Craig Newmark's creation of Craigslist. It didn't start as a business plan. It began in 1995 as a simple email list he sent to friends about cool events in San Francisco. When users started suggesting he add job postings and apartment listings, he listened. The platform grew organically, driven by community need, not a profit motive. He built his own door, and millions of people walked through it.

Narrator: While financial success is a common outcome for these leaders, it's rarely the primary driver. Instead, their work is fueled by a deeper mission or passion. Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, was an economics professor in Bangladesh during a devastating famine. He was tormented by the fact that the elegant economic theories he taught had no relevance to the suffering he saw outside his classroom. He decided to take a small, practical step. He found 42 villagers who were trapped in a cycle of debt to loan sharks and personally lent them the $27 they needed to be free. This simple act of compassion was the seed for Grameen Bank, a microfinance institution that has since lent billions to the world's poorest citizens, empowering them to become entrepreneurs. His mission was not to build a bank, but to solve a human problem.

Likewise, Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Farm was driven by a mission to prove that a business could be environmentally and socially responsible. He faced near-bankruptcy and immense operational challenges, but his belief in "healthy food, healthy people, and a healthy planet" was the fuel that kept him and his team going. This mission-driven approach is what ultimately allowed Stonyfield to become the world's largest organic yogurt maker, proving that a business can do good and do well simultaneously.

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from Getting There is that the journey to success is not about avoiding failure, but about how you respond to it. The leaders profiled are not defined by their flawless records, but by their resilience. They are masters of the pivot, the comeback, and the second act. They show that setbacks are not stop signs, but rather detours that often lead to a more meaningful destination.

The book challenges us to re-examine our own relationship with failure. In a world that often celebrates only the final victory, these stories remind us that the most crucial moments happen in the struggle—in the rejections, the mistakes, and the periods of uncertainty. The most challenging idea is to actively embrace this process. So, the next time you face a setback, instead of asking "Why did I fail?", perhaps the better question is, "What is this failure trying to teach me?"