Turning Failure into Growth

We are constantly navigating through a complex landscape of challenges, opportunities, and uncertainties. In a society that consistently glorifies success, it is also important to discuss and reframe the topic of failure. Failure is a part of leadership and a part of our day-to-day lives. One practical insight that I appreciate is from Adam Grant, who is an organizational psychologist and a #1 New York Times best-selling author. Every year he sets a goal that he knows will not succeed. Not to aim for failure, but to create an acceptable zone of failure that will encourage some risk-taking, experimentation, and hopefully some growth.

I’m sure at some point in your career there has been a deadline that you were unable to meet or a deal that didn’t finalize. Of course, disappointment can set in, but how you bounce back from failure and what you take away from the roadblock is hugely important. Failure can serve as a springboard to innovations and allow us to see different ways to rethink best practices. Here are a couple of suggestions for how to reframe setbacks moving forward:

Continuous Learning: Stay informed, individually we have the responsibility of growing our knowledge and understanding shifts that are taking place within the realm of our organizations, but also having an idea of what is occurring in the world. Sometimes solving an obstacle that occurs in our company or on our team involves seeing how others reach goals. One of the worst phrases that can hold back the growth of your organization is, “this is how we’ve always done it.” Inclusive leaders actively encourage innovation and the best ways for new practices.

Building a Feedback Culture: Leaders that want to learn, actively create space for differing ideas and perspectives. They want to work through mistakes and find ways to get better collectively. Feedback is one way to encourage participation, and this also displays an environment where team members feel valued and respected.

My hope is that this volume serves as a reminder to stay persistent along the leadership journey, and to have enough confidence in moments of failure to keep going. You’ve got this!