The Kobayashi Maru training exercise.
Cadets at Star Fleet Academy go through the Kobayashi Maru simulation, an exercise designed to test how they cope with no-win situations. Famously, James T. Kirk refused to accept no-win situations existed, hacked the simulation and became the only cadet to ever to pass the test.
How does this apply in a professional situation? Clearly, no-win situations exist in business. Kirk’s handling of the Kobayashi Maru simulation teaches us to make sure we really are in a no-win situation before accepting failure. Go back to the beginning and challenge every assumption and constraint that played a factor in your planning. You’d be surprised at how often you inadvertently created your own barrier to success.