Life lessons from Leslie Odom Jr.
Hamilton star learns from failure in new book.
It feels as if Leslie Odom Jr. burst on the scene only a few years ago with his Tony-winning performance as Aaron Burr in the Broadway hit Hamilton. But Odom’s success didn’t just take years of hard work, it took a lot of failing, too.
Since Hamilton, Odom, 36, has released two albums, appeared on the silver screen in Murder On the Orient Express and written his first book. In Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning (Feiwel and Friends), the actor/singer shares how “spectacular failure is the secret ingredient to your ultimate success.”
Five lessons we learned from the star:
1 Coming up short sometimes leads to going far.
When Odom entered the African-American Oratorical Competition in fifth grade he came in second. But coming in second would lead to the top spot for the next four years.
“When I hear people complain or bemoan coming close to a sought-after goal and missing by inches, I am quick to reassure them. Celebrate the fight and the proud run. Coming close can be confirmation you are on the right path.”
2 Love should lead you.
“There is no wasted time in the company of something or someone you love,” Odom writes.
“You walk toward the things that make you feel most alive. You walk toward the things you love. You love them with your whole heart. Read about them. Talk about them. Find other people who love those things, too. And eventually, the thing you love most in the world will love you back. It is inevitable. Not always in the way you expect, but in exactly the way you need.”
3 Saying ‘no’ can be as powerful as saying ‘yes.’
While attending Carnegie Mellon University, Odom was offered a role in Elton John’s Broadway hit Aida. After deliberation with his family, Odom turned down the role in favor of college.
“Those four years were beyond price,” he writes. College gave Odom the tools to develop as a human being and not just an actor. “Your no, your willingness to walk away when something doesn’t feel right for whatever reason, will be one of your greatest assets.”
4 Give yourself permission to fail.
While winning parts and making a living in Hollywood, Odom could consider himself a success. But working with Tony- and Grammy-winning performer Billy Porter on Being Alive proved he had far to go. Porter wanted Odom to amp up his performance. The actor knew, or thought he knew, his limitations.
“Everything changed in an instant the first time I really gave myself the room and the permission to fail spectacularly. ... I screamed. I flailed. I jumped. I ran. I cried. I let go. I flew. I soared. ... In my willingness to fail, I flew instead.”
5 Mentors and their mistakes matter.
Throughout his life, Odom has found mentors, from his fifth-grade social studies teacher, to Porter, to his fatherin-law. “You need someone who is willing enough to share with you. The best mentors will open and read from the private pages of their lives so that you may learn from their mistakes. ... Listen well and apply the lessons they help you discover.”