Failure: The Unexpected Pathway to Success

“Nobody ever made it to the top by never getting into trouble.”  – General Colin Powell

A politician caught in a lie. A business that gambled on a new idea and lost. A young leader who worked hard and showed initiative only to be laid off. A pastor who overestimated his strength and was unsuccessful in his attempt to resist temptation. Failure and its close cousins of defeat, despair, and disillusionment have been experienced by most leaders at some point in their lives. We avoid failure at all costs and are deeply embarrassed when it strikes. And yet, failure has its benefits which is why so many successful leaders, when honest, can attest to how it helped positively shape the person they have become. Here are four reasons why failure is seldom fatal and can instead be a catalyst to our leadership growth.

1. Failure opens new opportunities.

Prior to launching Home Depot, Bernie Marcus was successfully running a chain of stores when the head of the parent company fired him without cause and without grace. While it was hurtful and he was angry, that injustice also paved the way for him to launch Home Depot and become a multi-billionaire. When Warren Buffet was applying to graduate school, he was turned down at Harvard. He later said that was one of the most profound turning points in his life because he ended up at Columbia where he worked with the person who became the greatest influence in his investment philosophy. Failure opens up new opportunities.

2. Failure can produce learning.

New learning requires experimenting. And experimenting brings with it the risk of failure. To try out new ideas, to take some risks, and to take on a new position all require the risk of failure. Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, said this when reflecting on taking over ABC Entertainment, “Of all the lessons I learned in that first year running prime time, the need to be comfortable with failure was the most profound.” In the Bible, the Apostle Peter made his fair share of blunders, but one of the saddest was denying that he ever knew Jesus. That is what fear can do; it can get you to abandon those you care about most. But Peter learned from that humbling experience rather than quitting because of it. If you never want to risk failing, you can’t lead – because experiencing some failure is all part of the leadership journey.

3. Failure fosters humility.

It is hard for a winning team or successful organization to be humble. Not impossible… just hard. That’s because success feeds pride which can lead to overconfidence. But when we get smacked down, it can be just the attitude adjustment we need. I remember talking to a leader who was out of work. Before this, he was very successful, highly talented, and very confident. But being pushed out of his position and having trouble landing a new job created a spirit of humility. Most of us leaders need a periodic dose of humility because the longer we are successful, the more we can start to believe we are exceptional. Bernie Marcus once said to his executives, “When you go into a meeting at Home Depot and tell a joke, everyone will laugh. Just remember: You are not funny.” That is a practical reminder of humility. We forget that at our own expense!

4. Failure grows our grit.

I was reading the biography of a former Navy Seal whose commanding officer told him, “No man truly knows what he is made of until he goes up and slaps the dragon.” One of those dragons in the life of every leader is failure and the fear of it. Mistakes and blunders can drain leaders of their confidence and cause them to hide from the embarrassment. But failure can also grow our resiliency by reminding us to not dwell in pity and grief for too long. We have to get up and start walking again. I knew a leader who had a moral failure in his life. It was humiliating and devastating. But, rather than going into hiding, he owned it, got the help he needed, and over time, rebuilt his character, confidence, and credibility. That is what grit is all about.

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Jay Desko is the President & CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.