Proudly Supporting Entrepreneurial Minds Since 2008

To Past Successes and Future Failures!

We’ve had another great year here at Team Academy! We’ve moved into our own space. Hundreds of workshops have been given. Thousands of books have been read. We’ve had the largest class ever of young, future-entrepreneurs, join the programme in September. The first graduating class of our new programme has kick-started the next phase of their journey! The staff team has expanded. Our students have started loads of new business and initiatives and their current businesses have continued to grow.  They’ve travelled all over the world, visited hundreds of (potential)  clients and put hours of hard work into their companies and their education.

Of course, this year has also had more than a few challenges; from tough team discussions to hard personal choices, and of course, the usual quota of mistakes, missed deadlines, and downright failures. We’re not too bothered by these though. We fully intend to keep improving. However, we don’t need to feel bad about the challenges we face because they’re simply opportunities for growth. In fact, according to Amy Edmondson of Harvard University, the most accurate measure of long term, team performance is what she calls “learning velocity”. That’s right! A team’s success isn’t predicted by skills, star players, flawless plans, or their ability to avoid mistakes. It’s the speed at which they learn which matters over and above everything else. So failures are simply indicators of where growth needs to happen!

How do you turn failures into opportunities? Easier said than done right? Wrong! We believe that all it takes is thankfulness & reflection. Thankfulness enables you to face the pain of failure with a positive mindset. Thankfulness has been scientifically shown to increase empathy, creativity, and problem-solving skills, and reduce depression, frustration and other negative emotions. It’s a great first step after a failure to remind yourself of what you are thankful for, and what went well. Reflection, on the other hand, enables you to face your mistakes and explore how you’ll use them to grow and improve. Without thankfulness, failure is a tough, negative mental experience which most people simply avoid thinking about. Without reflection, you simply make the same mistakes over and over again, never maturing or improving. However, when you combine failure with thankfulness and reflection, a failure just becomes another stepping stone towards creating something meaningful.

We have lots to be thankful for and lots to reflect on this coming year at Team Academy Amsterdam, so let me leave you with a few great quotes:

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” – Marcus Aurelius

“The problem is not the problem. The problems is your attitude about the problem.” – Captain Jack Sparrow

“Failure creates tension, and tension creates motion.” – Me

Happy new year and see you in 2020!!
The Team Academy Team

Michel, Marjolein, Marc, Lotte, Brigitte, Eva, Stefan, Tess, Gabriel, Larissa, Andre, Timo, Eva, Tristan, Bart, Peter and all our fantastic field eperts!

 

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"At Team Academy I learned that you're responsible for your own future. Act now and keep trying!"
TEDDY UIJTTEWAAL
GRADUATE, CLASS OF 2018
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