The inspiring life story of KFC’s Colonel Sanders

Whether you like KFC or not, the story of Colonel Harland Sanders is truly amazing. This story is inspirational because it's an example of how perseverance, dedication, and ambition along with hard work can create success.

Colonel Harland Sanders has become a world-known figure by marketing his "finger lick in' good" Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Let’s see the journey of KFC’s Colonel Sanders.

Sanders was born in 1890 in Henryville, IN. When he was six years old, his father passed away leaving Sanders to cook and care for his siblings. In seventh grade, he dropped out of school and left home to go work as a farmhand. Already turning into a tough cookie.

At 16, he faked his age to enlist in the United States army. After being honorably discharged a year later, he got hired by the railway as a laborer. However, he got fired for fighting with a coworker. While he worked for the railway, he studied law--until he ruined his legal career by getting into another fight. Sanders was forced to move back in with his mom and get a job selling life insurance. And guess what? He got fired for insubordination. But this guy wouldn't give up.

In 1920, he founded a ferry boat company. Later, he tried cashing in his ferry boat business to create a lamp manufacturing company only to find out that another company already sold a better version of his lamp. Poor guy couldn't catch a break.

It wasn't until age 40 that he began selling chicken dishes in a service station. As he began to advertise his food, an argument with a competitor resulted in a deadly shootout. Four years later, he bought a motel which burned to the ground along with his restaurant. Yet this determined man rebuilt and ran a new motel until World War II forced him to close it down.

Following the war, he tried to franchise his restaurant. His recipe was rejected 1,009 times before anyone accepted it. Sander's "secret recipe" was coined "Kentucky Fried Chicken", and quickly became a hit. However, the booming restaurant was crippled when an interstate opened nearby so Sanders sold it and pursued his dream of spreading KFC franchises & hiring KFC workers all across the country.

After years of failures and misfortunes, Sanders finally hit it big. KFC expanded internationally and he sold the company for two million dollars ($15.3 million today). Even today, Sanders remains central in KFC's branding and his face still appears in their logo. His goatee, white suit and western string tie continue to symbolize delicious country fried chicken all over the world.

At age 90, Sanders passed away from pneumonia. At that time, there were around 6,000 KFC locations in 48 countries. By 2013, there were an estimated 18,000 KFC locations in 118 countries.

If you're overwhelmed by rejection or discouraged by setbacks, remember the story of Colonel Harland Sanders. Fired from multiple jobs, ruined his legal career, was set back by the Great Depression, fires and World War II, yet still created one of the largest fast food chains in the world. Sanders wouldn't let anything or anyone defeat him. We should all be more like Colonel Sanders.

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Personality Development Tips

The personality is the typical pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaviors that make a person unique.

When we say that someone has a "good personality" we mean that they are likeable, interesting and pleasant to be with.

Here we have some tips to improve your personality

1. Be a better listener : When others are speaking, listen to understand them. Don’t wait until they’re finished so you can respond, but truly focus in on what they’re saying. 

                         Try to repeat back  what they’ve said to you every few minutes so you can show that you hear them.You might say something like, “So, Jan it seems like you’re frustrated that    your boss decided to promote the new  guy instead of you. I can see how that would be really upsetting.”

2. Read more and expand your interests : The more you read and cultivate new interests, the  more interesting you are to others. When you meet new people it gives you the opportunity  to share what you know and to exchange your views with them.

3. Leave your ego behind : There is nothing more tiresome than trying to talk to someone who has no opinion on anything. A conversation has nowhere to go if you have nothing to expound on. If, however, you have an uncommon point of view or differing opinion, you are more interesting and       stimulating to be with socially. 

4. Meet New People :  Making new connections can help teach you more about others and build your social skills. Seek friendships with those different from your current friends so you can become a more well-rounded person. You might join a club at your school to meet new folks, go to a church, or find a group tailored to your interests, like a book club.

5. Be yourself : The next most tiresome thing after having no opinions is trying to be something     you're not. Molding yourself in order to fit in, or be accepted. Since each of us is unique, expressing that uniqueness is what makes us interesting. Attempting to be a carbon copy of someone else not only falls flat, but reveals a lack of authenticity.

6. Be fun and see the humorous side of life : Everyone enjoys the company of someone who makes them laugh, or smile, so look for the humorous, quirky side in a situation - there always is one. When you add fun and lightheartedness to an otherwise dull or gloomy setting, others will naturally be attracted to you, not to mention grateful.

7. Be supportive of others :  Being supportive is probably the most endearing quality you can integrate into your personality. Just as you yourself welcome it, be the support for others when they need it. We all love a cheerleader in our corner; someone who is encouraging, believes in us and helps pick us up when we're down.

8. Try to stay calm in tense situations : A lot of people seem like they have a good personality until you see them in an emergency or tense situation. Then they lose their cool. Don’t be this person! If you are in a tense situation, try to remain relaxed and see what you can do to resolve the situation.  

              lets say your car breaks down on the highway and you’re going to be late to work. Don’t start yelling and screaming – that’s not going to fix anything. Keep your mind clear and start developing a plan to solve the problem.

9. Develop modesty : You could be the most talented, extraordinary person in the world, but if you don’t have any modesty than you probably won’t have a good personality. Always keep yourself level and balanced. Nobody likes a big ego.

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Some Reasons Being Self-Critical Can Make You More Successful..

Most of the time, we think of self-criticism as a bad thing, and more likely to hold you back than boost you in your career. But there are several  reason here which tell you that being self-critical can help you achieve your goals.

1. You're always getting better.

"People who are self-critical are always analyzing the situation, whether the outcome was good or bad," O'Donnell says. "They are always seeking ways to improve." People who are already content with themselves may not try quite as hard to do better.

2. You think everything through--several times.

This is something I tend to do. It can be a benefit when I make well-thought-out, informed decisions, or a drawback when I take too long to make up my mind. Still, as O'Donnell points out, "Being self-critical means answering the potential questions that may arise. This leads to being overly prepared when presenting the work." Over-prepared is certainly better than under-prepared.

3. You listen to others. 

Listening is a key leadership skill, and one too many leaders are bad at. People who are self-critical may be better than most at listening to others. "Not only do people who are self-critical evaluate themselves, they are constantly seeking feedback too," O'Donnell says. "There's always room to improve and they want to hear other people's suggestions on how to do so."

4. You're self-aware.

"People who are self-critical are self-aware," O'Donnell says. "They know exactly where they need to improve, which is crucial to continue growing and developing in your career." It's certainly true that the ability to see yourself as others see you is a key skill for effective leaders, and just about everyone else.

5. Your ego never runs away with you.

Someone who's gotten ten promotions in 11 years might well be in danger of getting a swelled head. O'Donnell says being self-critical prevents that from happening. "The minute people think they no longer need direction or feedback because they do their job perfectly is the minute they slip and fall behind," says. "Continuously questioning your processes keeps you from developing an ego."

6. Over time, you will learn to go after bigger opportunities.

"For sure there have been times where being self-critical has caused doubt to creep in," O'Donnell says. "You have a support structure built in with a manager, coworkers, a team that believes in you and just because you might not think you're ready doesn't mean you won't be stretched outside of your comfort zone."

Over time, she adds, being pushed outside your comfort zone and succeeding anyway will give you more confidence for seeking new challenges. "As you grow as a professional, your ability to reflect stops leading to your inability to act," she says.

This is the one point where I truly disagree with O'Donnell, at least for some situations. Her support structure obviously worked for her at LaSalle Network, but not every employer or team provides the same kind of encouragement. And if you're a business owner or solopreneur, you're unlikely to get new opportunities to grow unless you go after them yourself.

7. You can enjoy your failures as well as your successes.

"Being self-critical isn't about defining only one way to do something--the "perfect way," O'Donnell explains. "It's about learning all of the options available to you so you don't only default to one way of doing things or one way of thinking." 

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