Four Ideas That Turn Failure into Opportunity

In working with leaders, I’m often working with them on psychological safety.  A key component is creating safety around failures and turning failures into opportunity.  As I reflect on the clients I’ve worked with and my own experiences with failure, at times I’ve seen clients put greater effort to avoid failure than in seeking success and how that fear has held them back from their true potential.

Here are 4 ideas I use with my clients which can help you be a better leader: wisdom, learning, fail by default, the next challenge.

1.     Wisdom 

“Even when you have doubts, take that step. Take chances. Mistakes are never a failure – they can be turned into wisdom.” – Cat Cora

Cat Cora’s quote encourages a mindset of learning. It has been said that people have a tendency to consider mistakes as either coming from a mindset of blame or mindset of learning. What has been your tendency?

2.     Learning

“Failure is success if we learn from it.” – Malcolm Forbes

Do you focus more on perfection or on making progress? Malcom Forbes would likely agree that it is empowering to focus on making progress rather than perfection. One explanation is that progress is measured continuously and develops over time. Perfection is a state at a moment in time. When is the last time you really learned a lesson?

3.     Fail by default

"You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default." – J.K. Rowling

While writing the "Harry Potter" series, Rowling was a divorced, single parent who was diagnosed with depression. Most people would have a very hard time managing so many life challenges, especially difficult ones. Who is the most productive person you know, and what is their default way of handling obstacles and failures?

4.     The next challenge

 “Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It’s ok to fail. If you’re not failing, you’re not growing.” – H. Stanley Judd

This is one of the key conditions practiced by effective leaders and creative organizations. What was your last challenge that truly awoke you with new learning?

According the four people quoted, failure provides for opportunities and growth. It seems counter intuitive until we realize that it is all about quickly acquiring experiences, awareness and insights. When this is true for you and those around you in the workplace, organizations are truly learning from difficulty and setback. Where will you put your effort?