In prep for the her ‘Fail Forward’ certification course, Erica reflects on how not all failures are created equal. (from June 2019)
E P I C F A I L // Uh-oh.
We’re used to thinking of failure as something that’s pretty purely negative. As in someone is going to get fired, or in serious trouble.
For most of us, just thinking about failure is physically uncomfortable — let alone talking about it. So many leaders fear giving unlimited permission to fail that they respond harshly and perhaps unfairly to their people’s mistakes. They lose a huge opportunity when they do. Mistakes are a part of life, and certainly a part of any business. It’s not a question of when but how your team will mess up, and how you’ll recover from it.
Here’s something to think about: not all failures are created equal.
Some are actually ‘good’ — or at least, the reasons for them are good. You can say YES to the good parts of failure without inviting more of it in general. It’s worth your time as a leader to understand the WHY behind your people’s failures, and have a positive attitude toward the learning that is possible if you’re brave enough to look for it.
Not only will you incite a more honest and accountable culture, you’ll model learning from failure which drives better results in the long term. Is this intriguing to you? Or too scary to contemplate?