Why is failing important? Because if paid attention to, it creates growth.
Small or large, everyone fails at some point in their lives and throughout their career. Plan for it. Just don't plan to have a failure focused fixation. If you tried and failed, that doesn't make you a failure. You are simply a leader who tried something that didn't work out. You have learned a way not to do it the next time.
Too many people create barriers for themselves because they see failure as something to be feared rather than an important – and sometimes essential – building block for success. People who embrace failure have greater knowledge, deeper experience and clearer vision of what success looks like. The education mistakes and failure has given them is irreplaceable.
Give people the freedom to fail. Don't hire failures who have given up on trying; hire tryers who haven't given in to failing. Learning from mistakes creates stronger leaders. These people will take your project, program or cause further with greater energy and clearer vision.
Why is failing important? Because what you refer to as failure may be the very prerequisite to success that comes just before the breakthrough you dream about.
"They (entrepreneurs) are not deterred by problems, mistakes, or errors. Why? Because they don't see setbacks as failures. They recognize that three steps forward and two steps back still equals one step forward. As a result, they overcome the average and become achievers."
John Maxwell, Failing Forward
DAY ONE
Make a list of those things you consider failures. Alongside each failure, note what you learned and how that prepared you for some future gain, advancement or insight that came about. Embrace those and future failures as stepping stones to success.
The Coach asks:
DAY TWO
Yesterday you listed the elements of an incredible education. Take that same list of failures, title it “Lessons Learned, My Incredible Education”. This is the learning you will apply in the workplace today and tomorrow. Think about how you will do this. How will you apply what you learned to your work today and incorporate it into your attitude for the rest of your life?
The Coach asks:
DAY THREE
How do you treat people who have failed? Can you influence the person who has failed and is discouraged, but is willing to keep going? What about the person who has failed and given up? What can you do that will bring something good out of something bad? Good results may not come in the short term but in the longer term.
The Coach asks:
DAY FOUR
Create a strategic plan to deal with failure as it arises. What immediate steps need to be taken? What immediate lessons can be gleaned and acted upon?
The Coach asks:
DAY FIVE
Think about creating a 'no-fail' environment in your organization. This means that failure, when it happens, is immediately turned into a learning opportunity and is used as a catalyst for growth toward greater successes. That may be the biggest answer to the question, "Why is failing important?." Are there degrees of failure that need to be treated in different ways?
The Coach asks:
As a Christian Executive Leadership Coach I encourage Christian leaders to reflect on God's Word to add to their wisdom.
If you are a leader, executive, or senior level professional looking to work with a Christian Executive Coach, I invite you to connect with me here.
If appropriate, we can meet by phone or Zoom to discuss your situation.
This is your opportunity to track your progress. Start by asking yourself how important this practice is to you? Record the importance as - not at all, somewhat, fairly, highly or extremely.
Now next to it ask yourself how well you carry out this practice. Record your performance as - very poor, poor, okay, good or very good.
The things we track, we pay attention to. Across time, come back and record your new results. You will find that as you are intentional about making improvements, you will bump your "score" up higher.
This is significant. Don't miss the opportunity to acknowledge your success, and use it as a springboard for making even further gain.
Let's face it. Nobody wants to fail. Nobody wants others to see that we have made a mistake or mucked up. But ... it's part of life. Failure will happen. If we learn from it, it makes us stronger and takes us further.
And that may be something we'd like for everybody to see.
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