Why do people fear failing?

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill

A very high-skilled and professional C-leader I know said the other day: "I wonder what happens in organizations where employees and managers are afraid to fail?"

Based on experience, what happens in an organization where people are afraid to fail is a cascade of negative things, starting with:

• People become less likely to take risks or try alternative approaches. This harms innovation and creativity, leading to a lack of progress and growth in the organization.
• It can lead to low morale and motivation among employees, as they feel discouraged from taking on new challenges or pursuing ambitious goals. This can cause reduced productivity, lower-quality work, and higher turnover rates.
• People become hesitant to take on important projects or opportunities, leading to missed chances for growth and development. The fear of failure can lead to poor performance, as employees may be more focused on avoiding mistakes than on achieving results.
• People are quick to assign blame and point fingers when things go wrong. This can create a toxic work environment and damage relationships among team members.

The ripple effect of this is a negative impact on psychological safety, leading to:?

• People will be less likely to work together or communicate effectively, leading to silos and decreased productivity.?
• When people are afraid to speak up, it will lead to poor decisions making, as important perspectives and information are not considered.
• People will feel overwhelmed or unsupported in the workplace and this will contribute to mental health issues, such as stress, anxiety, and burnout.

So, the short answer to the raised question is: Bad things happen, and lots of bad things happen. And who is to blame for this mess? Leadership and management!

"Don't fear failure. Fear being in the exact same place next year as you are today." - Unknown

Why do people fear failing?

I get back to why I blame leadership and management. First, why do people fear failing? My take is that it’s because we, as ordinary humans, associate failure with negative consequences such as humiliation, disappointment, or loss. Can’t speak for everyone but to me, this challenges my self-esteem and sense of my skills and competence. Expectations from the group and cultural pressures to succeed can create anxiety and fear of failure, at least for me.?

Seen from an organizational point, there can be various factors that can cause "the fear of failing". It can be the culture that does not tolerate failure. Just think of those organizations where there is this saying: “failure is not an option”. It can also be unrealistic expectations or goals. Saying this, I do advocate strongly for ambitious goals, but they still need to be realistic to a certain point. It can be a lack of trust and lack of support that can lead to fear of failure because it creates an environment where people feel like they don't have the support they need to succeed. This can lead to a lack of autonomy and recognition, which can erode confidence and make people fear making mistakes or taking risks. Also, inadequate resources or training can lead to fear of failure because it creates an environment where people are not adequately prepared to succeed, which can lead to self-doubt, uncertainty, pressure, and fear of not meeting expectations.

"It's failure that gives you the proper perspective on success." - Ellen DeGeneres

Furthermore, a focus on short-term results rather than long-term growth also feeds a culture of fear of failure because it prioritizes immediate success over long-term planning and investment. This can create pressure to perform, a lack of experimentation and investment, and a lack of vision, which can make it difficult for people to feel confident in their ability to achieve long-term success. There are for sure a bunch of other factors that undermine the organization, leading to a personal fear of failure.

Why blame leadership and management?

So, why on earth do I dare to blame leadership and management? Because they are, in my opinion, the sole responsibility for creating and shaping the culture of an organization. I do agree that others can have an impact on shaping the culture. But that is no excuse. It’s then the leadership and management's job to “eliminate”, or compensate, for this negative impact regardless of whether it's internal or external. The responsibility of the leadership and management also includes setting the tone for the organization, establishing the values, principles, purpose, goals, and priorities, and modeling the behaviors and attitudes that are expected by everyone in the community that makes up the organization. Said in other words, the leadership and management take the lead when it comes to creating and maintaining psychological safety.?

"Psychological safety is the foundation of high-performing teams. It enables people to bring their whole selves to work, to take risks, and to be vulnerable." - Leah Weiss

Why is psychological safety important?

Psychological safety is the key to a healthy organization. Psychological safety is what makes it a safe ground for everybody to speak up and share their ideas, opinions, concerns, or questions without fear of negative consequences or retaliation.?

"Psychological safety isn't just a nice-to-have. It's a must-have for organizations that want to innovate and succeed." - Julia Rozovsky

Therefore, it’s a critical aspect of a healthy and productive organization, as it fosters open communication, collaboration, and trust among everyone in what is also a community. The reason why I say community, is because that’s a place we voluntarily want to be a part of a place in which we feel comfortable speaking up, sharing thoughts and ideas, and engaging in healthy debate and discussion. In such a community, where psychological safety is in place, we are more likely to take risks, challenge the status quo, and innovate, knowing that our ideas will be considered and respected.

On the other hand, when there is a lack of psychological safety, we are hesitant to speak up, share our thoughts and ideas, or challenge the status quo, leading to a culture of fear. So, as said before, it’s the leadership and management that must take the lead when it comes to creating and maintaining psychological safety, and to me, the best, and most effective way to do this is to lead by example. I’ll get back to that later. First, how is it possible to detect that people suffer from fear of failure?

"Without psychological safety, team members will never reach their full potential." - Timothy R. Clark

How is it shown?

As I have been told, fear of failure is expressed in many ways. But some of the symptoms could be when people:

• Avoiding taking risks or trying new things that could lead to failure.
• Procrastinating or delaying action due to uncertainty or anxiety.
• Setting overly low goals to avoid the possibility of failure.
• Blaming others or external factors for their mistakes or shortcomings.
• Feeling anxious or stressed when faced with challenges or performance evaluations.
• Losing motivation or confidence after experiencing failure.
• Being overly self-critical and perfectionistic.
• Avoiding feedback or constructive criticism.
• Denying or downplaying the significance of their mistakes or failures.
• Withdrawing or isolating themselves to avoid judgment or scrutiny.

If some of these symptoms are seen, you should not avoid them, but consider how to showcase that there is no reason to fear failing, and a way to start is to lead by example.??

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan

What does it mean to lead by example?

Leading by example means modeling the behavior and attitudes that you want to see in others.: You are a good example of what to do, so your words and actions are consistent with each other.

Take responsible risks

You can do this by modeling a willingness to take calculated risks and try new things, even if there is a chance of failure. This can show people that taking risks is important for growth and progress.

Learn from mistakes

When you make mistakes, everyone else can model the behavior of learning from those mistakes and using them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

Demonstrate respect and integrity

You can model the behavior of treating others with respect, integrity, and dignity, regardless of their position or background.

Communicate clearly and transparently

It pays off when you are communicating clearly and transparently with others and being honest and straightforward in your interactions.

Value learning and development

You can model the behavior of valuing learning and development, both for yourselves and for the people around you. This can include setting aside time for training and development and providing opportunities for growth and advancement.

"The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows." - Buddha

Besides creating and maintaining psychological safety, this behavior creates a culture that supports risk-taking, learning, and growth, and empowers everyone to take responsibility for their development and success. As well as it encourages experimentation, innovation, and creativity because you demonstrate that failure is not something to be feared or avoided, but rather an opportunity for learning and growth.?

Did I say feedback?

No, I did not, on purpose. Instead of feedback, I would like to propose a feedforward. The reason for this is that feedforward can help you to reduce the fear of failure by focusing on future-oriented improvement, rather than dwelling on past mistakes.?

Unlike feedback, which can be seen as judgmental and critical, feedforward is a positive, forward-looking approach that provides guidance and support to help people to learn and grow.

By focusing on specific behaviors and actions that can be improved in future situations, feedforward can help people to see failure as an opportunity for growth and development, rather than a source of anxiety or shame. It can also help people to set achievable goals and identify actionable steps for improvement, which can help build confidence and motivation.

Additionally, by providing a clear path for improvement, feedforward can help people take responsible risks and try new approaches without fear of negative consequences, knowing that they have a support system in place to help them learn from their mistakes and improve their performance over time.

To use feedforward, I suggest that you follow these simple steps:?

1. Identifying specific behaviors or actions that can be improved. The first step in feedforward is to identify specific behaviors or actions that can be improved in future situations. This could involve setting goals, identifying areas for improvement, or seeking input from others.
2. Seeking input and suggestions from others. Once specific behaviors or actions have been identified, the person seeks input and suggestions from others on how they can improve. This could involve asking colleagues, seeking guidance from a coach, or researching best practices in their field.
3. Developing a plan for improvement. Based on the input and suggestions received, the person develops a plan for improvement that includes specific actions and behaviors that can be implemented in future situations. The plan should be specific, actionable, and focused on the desired outcome.
4. Implementing the plan.?The final step in this feedforward process is to implement the plan for improvement in future situations. This could involve practicing new behaviors or approaches, seeking out new opportunities to apply what has been learned, or soliciting feedback and guidance from others along the way.

All this is to say that feedforward is a positive and forward-looking approach to development that emphasizes the actions and behaviors that can be taken to improve future performance. By focusing on specific, actionable steps for improvement, feedforward can help individuals build confidence, reduce fear of failure, and achieve better results over time.

Create psychological safety, eliminate the fear of failing, and get a community everyone wants to join.

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Edison