Some of the most successful leaders in history we not always … well, successful. Napoleon Hill said it best, “Edison failed 10,000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times.”

1. Who was sent home from the 3rd grade because he was too slow to learn, and who later struggled through thousands of experiments before being awarded over one thousand patents for his inventions?—Thomas Alva Edison

2. Who flunked the first grade and went on to become attorney general?—Robert F. Kennedy

3. Who didn’t learn to talk until he was four years old but ultimately changed how we view the laws of time and space?—Albert Einstein

4. Who was told at an early age that he had no talent for music but whose name is synonymous with musical masterpieces?–Ludwig Van Beethoven

5. Who was told by a prominent Hollywood producer that he would not make in films because his Adams apple was too big?—Clint Eastwood

6. Who was told by a newspaper owner to pursue another line of work because he didn’t have any creative or original ideas?—Walt Disney

“I didn’t fail the test, I just found 100 ways to do it wrong.” – Benjamin Franklin