It’s easier to fail casually than to give your best and fall short. Only the humble learn from responsible failure.
Mistakes are catastrophes when caused by dishonesty, neglect, or lack of effort. But all failure is useful when faced quickly.
The sooner you address what isn’t working, the sooner trajectory changes.
Fail like a pro:
You fail successfully when you defeat ego. “I screwed up” is humility, as long as it isn’t followed with, “but…”
Good failure elevates admiration. Leaders who fail openly gain respect. Excuse-makers gain disdain.
Useful failure increases flexibility. What will you do differently next time? Be specific. Focus on behaviors.
Mistakes help when you open up. The greatest opportunity of failure is reflection. Vulnerability requires courage.
3 powers of responsible failure:
#1. Inspiration.
You’re uninspiring if your life has been easy. Inspire others by flaunting the failures you have overcome.
#2. Insight.
Success shows you things to repeat. Failure reveals something to change. It’s freeing to see what didn’t work. Fools don’t change.
#3. Development.
Blunders point to skill gaps. What do you need to learn? Sincere screw-ups reveal wrong beliefs. What new ways of thinking about yourself come to mind?
3 ways to fail successfully:
#1. Ask what.
Asking what didn’t work is better than asking who screwed up.
“What” is about learning. “Who” is about blaming.
Tip: Ask when. You reveal poor decision-making when you identify when failure began.
#2. Be specific.
Dig into failure – reject generalities. Look for specific practices that cause failure.
#3. Explore what didn’t happen.
What was left undone reveals more than what went wrong.
Those who hide failure fail again. Those who never fail reach too low.
What does “fail like a pro” mean to you?
What are some of the worst things to do in the face of failure?
https://www.gcu.edu/blog/business-management/why-failure-important-leadership
