Embrace Failure

If I was to re-take the strengths test, “failure” would absolutely be in my top 5.  Of all the things I’m good at, I’m f’ing awesome at failing.  Recently I had a colleague ask me why (and how) I talk about failure with my teams and I thought it would be better to share on a broader scale.

When I say that I’m great at failing I also mean I embrace my failures.  Many are the normal slips up that happen in the course of a day/week/month and some are just flat out spectacular.  It’s not that I run around the office screaming that I failed.   That doesn’t solve anything and just makes me look like an ass (and I need no help in that department).

What does “embrace” mean?

All of us have had managers who will go the extra mile for us. We love and respect these folks.  I’m also pretty sure that you’ve had managers who try to go the extra mile but fail. 

Therein lies the rub. We live and work in ultra-competitive environments.  Every defeat, setback or failure seems to haunt people and it can be a win (or promote only winning) at all costs game.

My goal is to be that leader who:

1)   Will move mountains to help the team around me

2)   If I fail, admit it quickly and, when possible, look for ways to mitigate/adjust

Why? It builds trust, shows I’m human and actually strengthens the relationship.  Everyone messes up.  Everyone fails.  I honestly believe it provides me a great opportunity to grow as a leader.

With my last few teams I’ve shared one of my favorite Will Smith interviews where he talks about not being afraid to die on the treadmill (Link is here and my favorite part is at 4:10).  My team knows I’ll die trying to make it work for them and in the event I can’t - they know they’ll get an honest discussion about how I couldn’t get it done.  How I failed.

I want people around me taking risks, attempting to move mountains, making a difference and embracing those daily failures. 

By the way, my Marketing and Sales teams are hiring ;-)

If anything is this article or the ones below resonate with you, hit me up or forward to a friend.

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E=MC2

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We’re looking for leaders who are willing to embrace failure.