My wife and I like to drive around expensive neighborhoods to see what the other half is up to.

Whether it’s landscaping or decorating around the holidays, there are usually ideas we consider borrowing for our own humble abode.

On a recent visit to Dallas, the hotel I stayed in was adjacent to some of the more expensive neighborhoods in the area.

I took a long walk and, sure enough, I saw a few creative things done on front lawns and porches that had me taking pictures.

It wasn’t that these were especially unique or extravagant features, but seeing them in person creates confidence that we could do something similar.

Openly looking for ideas to borrow got me thinking of a great comment I heard the CEO of one of the 10 largest banks in America make within the last year.

I was fortunate enough to be in the audience for a relatively small “fireside chat” he participated in.

During that chat, he chuckled and said that while his organization has thousands of talented and creative people, they are not above copying someone else’s great idea.

He said, “Hey, we have no pride in authorship when we see an idea or practice that just makes a lot of sense.”

He explained that they clearly could not use anything that is trademarked or copyrighted.

But he understood that even great ideas are easier to find than they are to execute.

Most organizations already have more good ideas than they can realistically implement.

The challenge isn't finding them.

It's choosing a few and executing them consistently.

Many years ago, I encouraged folks to come to meetings ready to describe a service experience, or gesture, or even advertisement that impressed them.

They were then encouraged to explain why it made an impression and suggest what their team could do to similarly impress others.

Almost without fail, there would be actionable new ideas that came from those chats.

Other times, the examples solidified some of the current best practices of the team.

At a minimum, folks openly discussed how they could deliver better experiences and elicit stronger emotions with customers.

Sometimes the next great idea for your bank isn't waiting in a strategic planning session.

It may already be working somewhere else.

You just have to be willing to find… and refine… it.

A young man approached me after a recent graduate school of banking course I conducted and told me that he was in the same age range as my sons.

As I got my head around the fact that I am now teaching bank officers who are the same age as my sons, he referenced one of my more passionate monologues about the role setbacks play in our lives.

He said, “You know, I think people my age really need to hear what you said about the polishing process everyone who strives for success has to go through.”

I chuckled and told him that he may listen to me more than my own sons. I thought about giving him their numbers to compare notes.

The “polishing process” I reference is the fact that lots of folks (young and old) tend to see successful people and assume it all came easily.

I mean, hey, look at them. They’re confident and secure in who they are and what they do.

You look at them and think, well, of course they are successful. It almost seems inevitable.

I point out that they are looking at the polished version of that person. They didn’t get to see the process.

They didn’t see the times that person teared up from rejection. They didn’t witness their dark moments of doubt.

They didn’t see the failed business attempts or the times they were passed over for a promotion.

No, they are looking at the polished person who has come through that process and emerged stronger, wiser, and more secure as a result.

Beyond that, people who understand that setbacks and rejection are not the end of their journey, but part of the path, become more resilient, more adaptable, and yes, more successful.

We all have our own unique career and life journeys.

The friction we encounter along the way will either grind us down or polish us, depending on our attitude about it.

Setbacks, even “undeserved” ones, do not mean you are failing. They signal you are still trying.

From a strategic standpoint, the failures you experience and the lessons you learn today are often preparing you for opportunities and successes you would never be ready for otherwise.

The experiences you are having now, both good and bad, are shaping the person you will need to become to seize them.

Wisdom, confidence, empathy, and resilience aren’t inherited. They’re earned.

Be willing to earn them.