Embracing Failure
Our interview with Nick Spragg in last month's newsletter hit a chord with me. Nick said, "I wish we were more accepting of failure at our leadership level". In general, people don’t react to failure the same way as they do to success. Many of us enjoy credit for our successes but also look for something (or someone!) else to blame when we fail.
Perfectionism is a symptom of fear of failure. Because perfectionists have such high expectations for how they expect things to turn out, they may experience a nagging fear that they won't live up to those often unrealistically high standards. The thing is, no one or no thing is perfect and if we try to make something perfect, we will not succeed and just be disappointed.
Failure, mistakes, and mishaps play a vital role in helping us learn and grow. When we fail, it helps us get a deeper understanding of the issue. When we consciously consider a failure, it not only improves information recall but also improves critical thinking. According to a report published in Scientific American, when you make a mistake, your brain creates new neural connections by taking in new information and compiling the key takeaways from trial and error, resulting in more efficient neuronal pathways. We learn from our mistakes so that we don't make them again in the future and become more resilient.
Many things that we perceive as failures can sometimes become something more meaningful and profound if we give them enough time. In Elizabeth Day's podcast How to Fail, Brené Brown initially thought that her TED Talk, ‘The Power of Vulnerability’ in 2010 was an "unmitigated clusterfuck" and "felt like a failure". If only she knew that it would become one of the most viewed TED talks of all time.
Unfortunately, most organisations penalise mistakes, creating employees who are risk-averse, too shy or nervous to try anything new. A fear of failing breeds doubt and inaction, and is the enemy to innovation. Failure is inherently emotionally charged and getting an organisation to accept it takes leadership. The best companies are those that encourage failure, embrace out-of-the-box thinking, and allow employees to make mistakes. When reframed as a good, constructive, and essential part of learning, failure is a master teacher. A great leader faces failure, owns it, and is still motivated. Leaders create and reinforce a culture that counteracts the blame game and embrace failure as a way of learning and moving forward.