Most fear failure partly because we don’t see the benefit of failing. Most effective/successful people have failed their way to the success and/or effectiveness they may be known for. These are the people who embraced their failures instead of being embarrassed by them. Thomas Edison said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
How do we not stop short? What are some things we might do to view failure as a friend rather than a foe to be avoided at all costs?
Larry Shaffer is the senior vice president of marketing and business development at Insperity. In his article, “You really can learn as much from failure as you do success,” posted on FastCompany.com, shares five things leaders can learn if failure is embraced.
Fail fast. The more failures the more potential for progress. “With a fail-fast philosophy, leaders and their companies will experience the freedom to make and learn from mistakes, helping them to achieve their full potential for long-term success.”
Stepping stones, not slippery slopes. When failure is viewed as stepping stones toward the end-result they will be embraced more readily. If they are seen as slippery slopes, we will avoid them at all costs. “It is important for leaders to view failures in a positive manner, as a series of stepping stones that lead to success.”
Shake up the status quo. Failure may not be an indicator you are doing things wrong, but an indicator you are doing things the same. “Failure can be a sign that the way things are being done is not working, so it is a force that can shake up the status quo.”
Build experience. Every failure is an experience that can be leveraged for future learning. Asking yourself, when you have failed at something, what did I learn? As opposed to why did I failure? Creates more growth. “When leaders have a solid base of experiences, they have more confidence to step outside of their comfort zones.”
Contributes to humility. It is good for leaders to understand they are not always right. Mistakes are made. Failure reminds leaders of this. “While it may not be readily apparent, failure is a key contributor to humility, which is an essential characteristic of top-performing leaders.”
Be encouraged. Go forth and fail! And pay attention when you do.