What Leaders Should Learn from Failures

learn from failures

Never let Success get to your Head. Never let Failure get to your Heart. “I didn’t get consumed by losses,” said the legendary NFL coach Don Shula, “and I didn’t get overwhelmed by successes.”

Many of us have stifled our life by heeding some misguided critic who implied we were not good enough. Few things in life are certain but failure is.

Failure seems as something to be avoided at all cost. Although it leaves a sour taste, we should embrace it for the learning opportunity it is. Failure is the oldest teacher, and perhaps the wisest of them all. Some things are impossible to completely grasp without first falling down.

We live in a culture that values perfectionism and failure is often viewed as a sign of weakness. People become so fixated on not failing that they never move forward. When it comes to failing, our egos are our own worst enemies. It’s easier to accept it in private, but once the failure is obvious to everyone around you, it’s becomes harder to accept it. Holding onto failures for way too long is destructive.

The Importance of Failure

  • It’s a learning Experience – It drives us to change. It represents opportunity and growth. It gives new direction. There is always one or more lessons to learn in what you may see as a failure.
  • It builds Character We learn how to behave when we finally accomplish our goals. The humility we gain through our failures allows us to better handle and appreciate success.
  • It makes you Stronger – It’s with persistence we overcome failure to achieve success . When people fail, they feel unaccomplished, and so they try again and again, until they finally reach success.
  • Your chances of Succeeding Increases – Failures are the pillars for success. You gain experiences you could not get any other way. Some things can only be learned through trial and error.
  • Failure is a type of Freedom – Why? Because the worst has happened. Now, you can relax and rebuild again.

Success does not come easy. Everyone must face one hurdle after another. If you think that once you have the success you crave, you can relax, you are sadly mistaken.

Failure can be costly, not only emotionally but financially as well. Some industries are very unforgiving as one or more failures may instantly get you the boot. The worse thing anyone can do, is not learn from failures.

In recent years, more and more executives have embraced the point of view, that failure is a prerequisite to invention. The fastest way to succeed,” IBM’s Thomas Watson, Sr., once said, “is to double your failure rate.” The growing acceptance of failure is changing the way companies approach innovation.

However, distinguishing between excusable and inexcusable failure is crucial. Managing failure is key. Some mistakes are unpardonable for example producing and marketing a dysfunctional product caused by poor quality control. Encouraging failure doesn’t mean abandoning or supervision or respect for sound practices. Managing for failure requires leaders to be more engaged, not less.

I would like to share 20 Powerful Quotes on failures:

  1. “You always pass failure on your way to success.” ~Mickey Rooney
  2. “A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in the experience.” ~Elbert Hubbard
  3. “Failure is the tuition you pay for success.” ~Walter Brunell
  4. “Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have. ~Dale Carnegie
  5. “Success represents the 1% of your work which results from the 99% that is called failure.” ~Soichiro Honda
  6. “The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.” ~Paramahansa Yogananda
  7. “Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.” ~Sumner Redstone
  8. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” ~Truman Capote
  9. “There is no failure. Only feedback.” ~Robert Allen
  10. “Remember that failure is an event, not a person.” ~Zig ziglar
  11. “Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” ~Og Mandino
  12. “Its fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” ~Bill Gates
  13. “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” ~Richard Branson
  14. “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” ~Michael Jordan

15.” Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.” ~Napoleon Hill

  1. “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” ~Henry Ford

17.” My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” ~Abraham Lincoln

  1. “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” ~Thomas Edison
  2. “Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. “~F. Scott Fitzgerald
  3. Our best success often come after our greatest disappointments. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Finally, don’t let the fear of failure hold you back.

Remember to take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise. Always find joy in your journey for as George Bailey said it best “It’s a Wonderful Life!”

About Author

Brigette Hyacinth is the Author of “The Edge of Leadership: A Leader’s Handbook for Success” and originally published this article on LinkedIn. You can follow her on LinkedIn or her Business site.

Photo credit : http://pixabay.com

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