So You Didn't Win a Trophy, So What?

Winning and Not Losing at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.

I first became aware of trophies in summer camp.

I was 8 years old.

At that time, the camp leadership would get all the boys together for an end-of-the-season banquet.

After a great meal of pot roast, French fries and grape “bug juice,” the counselors and camp leadership gave out a few awards.

Emphasis on “few.” This was the 1970s. Not everyone got a trophy back then.

The best award was “Camper of the Year.” It was an award for spirit, athleticism and overall awesomeness to fellow campers and the camp itself.

Each age group had one “CoY.”

My age group was called, “The Robins.” (The camp used birds to classify our ages: Sparrows to Eagles. At that time, I was a Robin.)

“The Camper of the Year for the Robins is…”

At this moment, I remember using every fiber of my being to ask God and any other life-force out there to somehow make this me — with my name engraved on the trophy.

I was desperate to be “Camper of the Year” and go home with that trophy.

But it was not to be. It went to Jon Grody or Andy Miller or some other Robin. Anyone but me.

I was crestfallen.

Years went by and I missed out on other trophies: MVPs, Scholar Awards, Bowling Trophies…

In the 2000’s I found myself on the Croissette in the South of France for the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. I was a working Creative Director at the time.

And each year as a practicing creative, I’d scan the Cannes Shortlist in the hopes that my work was on there.

You see, you make the Shortlist — and you have a chance to win a Lion — a trophy.

But the odds are not in your favor. Submissions come from all over the planet and data shows there’s a 4% chance of winning a Lion. Four. Percent.

No surprise, most years I came away empty-handed and disappointed.

Oh, I managed to make a few Shortlists and even win a few Lions. And, yes, it did feel good.

In the moment.

But by the time the plane from France landed and I was back home, the Lion was less an object of desire and more of a curious ornament on my book-shelf.

Wanting the trophy and even winning the trophy started to make me feel like a loser. After all, if I won a silver, why didn’t I win a gold? If I won two, how come not three or more? And if I won…what did my competitors win?

Awards are a zero-sum game.

Fortunately, towards the end of the middle of my creative career I gained some perspective. Some wisdom.

It came from this wonderful quote from the great South African leader, Nelson Mandela. He said:

“I never lose. I either win or learn.”

Win or learn. What a mantra.

This has served me well. Maybe it can help you.

I also came to understand that my worth is not measured in gold. There are other more powerful metrics: Does my work have impact? Effectiveness? Fame?

And beyond what I produce, how am I serving people? Family? Friends? Clients? Colleagues? Community?

But back to learning.

That’s what I do now when it comes to Cannes. I look to see what I can learn.

So, while I may still feel the occasional pang of loss, I don’t “lose” anymore. Be it awards. Or new business. Or pretty much anything else.

There’s no time to lose.

I’m too busy learning.