The Right Kind of Wrong with Amy Edmondson
Christopher Rainey
Follow for posts about HR, AI & the future of work. Host HR Leaders Podcast (100M+ Views) Founder, HR Leaders/atlas Copilot
Please leave a like and tag anyone you believe would benefit from our content. Also, ? Learn how to See Greatness Everywhere with Eightfold.
In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, acclaimed Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson , shares insights from her book, "The Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well,". It examines a topic most business leaders shy away from - how to productively learn from our failures and mistakes.
As Amy shared, human nature makes us avoid failure out of fear of humiliation or rejection. Yet, the world is too complex and fast-changing to expect perfection. The most innovative organizations don't make fewer mistakes - they make more small, "intelligent" failures in pursuit of innovation.
Where most companies go wrong is in how they respond. As Amy outlined, leaders must frame efforts as opportunities to learn and improve, not just rigid succeed/fail binaries. This promotes a growth mindset across teams. Psychologically safe cultures where people feel safe surfacing issues enable collective learning critical for agility.
Amy advocates investing in three core competencies:
?? Self-awareness - Understanding our own tendencies and contributions
??? Situation awareness - Continuously evaluating context and risks
?? System awareness - Seeing how different parts interact and influence outcomes
Combined, these help identify "complex failures" with multiple intersecting causes to prevent future occurrences through addressing root issues, not just symptoms. They also empower "intelligent experimentation" to fuel innovation.
The key insight is that failure itself isn't inherently good or bad - it's all about mindset and response. Will we get defensive about and hide our failures? Or have the courage to openly analyse them and rapidly adapt? As one child’s hospital Amy studied says, the goal is not to be perfect - it’s to become the best at getting better.
What opportunities could a shift in mindset around failures unlock in your organization?
The quicker we identify and correct breakdowns, the better off we ultimately are. The most successful already embrace failure - it's time the rest of us catch up!
领英推荐
?? Episode highlights
See Greatness Everywhere
Powered by deep-learning AI, Eightfold’s unrivalled Talent Intelligence Platform shows you what you need, when you need it. Whether you’re finding or developing talent, their skills-driven approach backed by unparalleled talent insights enables the outcomes you need to stay ahead. Explore the Platform.
Subscribe on your Favourite platform
?? Listen on iTunes | Spotify | TuneIn | YouTube | Newsletter
???? Please share your thoughts on the episode below, and consider dropping a like if you enjoyed the podcast and forwarding it to someone who might benefit from the episode.
HR Leader. People Champion. Transformation & Change Catalyst. Podcaster. DEI Advocate.
1 年Loved this episode. Amy is always brilliant and practical!! I’ve already been able to apply some of the learnings! Well done HR Leaders
Career Development Coach | Speaker | LinkedIn Top Voice for Careers | Top 15 Coach in London | Writer
1 年Looking forward to listening. I really enjoyed hearing Amy speak at Thinkers50 ????
I teach my 3-step Intelligence Isn’t Enough framework to Millennial and Gen Z professionals to help them show up, stand out and earn sponsorship, raises and promotions from their organization’s most influential leaders.
1 年I’ll definitely check this out!
Automotive Marketing Communications
1 年Great interview. My take is that communication is of crucial importance anticipating complex failure(s). Starting from self awareness, situational and system awarenesses to workplace culture - all must work above policies and procedures that are often written after any losses or a drop of blood as a worst scenario. In most cases failure formula is 1+1=11 when communication goes wrong from A to recipient B, C, etc. And yes, being uncomfortable is part of a learning path. Dare to fail in a good way!
Executive Leadership & Intuition Coach | The Exceptional Leader Method for Extraordinary Leaders & Their Teams | Neuroscience for Professional Development
1 年By embracing failure as a teacher rather than a deterrent, we can cultivate a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Thank you for sharing this valuable episode!