The Power of Failure

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm” ~ Winston Churchill

I recently attended a panel discussion on career planning where a group of diverse leaders were sharing stories about their ascension to senior management roles.  As they bounced from one story to the next, it struck me how rarely we talk about our failures – even in a setting designed to develop aspiring leaders.  One Managing Director remarked that in the last 20 years, she had never officially applied for her roles, other senior leaders above her noticed her work and recommended her for positions.  That kind of sponsorship is enviable, but the problem is that for most people, that is not the norm.  Even the most successful people usually have had their share of stumbles and subsequent bumps and bruises.  When we aren’t open and transparent about our failures, we can come across as unauthentic and unrelatable.  

But first, why is failure important – even necessary?

Failure builds grit and resilience.

Failure gets us out of our comfort zone. Failing means that you are trying, you are learning, you are taking risks, you are improving, you are bettering yourself.  When babies first learn how to walk, they fall on average 17 times / day.  Despite the high failure rate, we continue to encourage and applaud their every attempt. Our adult selves deserve a little bit of that same optimism and grace.

Failure gives us an opportunity to learn. 

At Amna Hasnain coaching, I encourage my clients to take some time to reflect and debrief after a major project or assignment, especially if it resulted in a failure.

·       What did you learn?

·       What would you approach better / differently next time?

·       How did you grow?

Failure keeps you humble.

For most senior leaders, success doesn’t come in a linear fashion.  There are stumbles along the way, and some pretty nasty bruises. When we share about our failures and the lessons we learned – it makes us relatable and inspires others to try. When we fail, lots of emotions creep up – embarrassment, disappointment, frustration, and humility.  Humility is a gift – it grounds us, reminds us to do better next time, and that no matter our titles or net worth – we are no better than anyone else.

Failure breeds innovation and creativity.

At my first job out of college, I failed big.  I had recently gotten licensed as a financial advisor and I was doing all the things I was taught to do to gain clients: networking, asking for referrals, cold calling, putting in the late hours – none of it worked.  In 10 months, I got 1 client.  Not so surprisingly, people didn’t want to turn over their life savings to a 21 year old to manage.  But out of that failure came a lot of profound learnings, self-realizations and inspiration. I partnered with a senior, more experienced financial advisor, and the tide began to turn. Failure tests us and helps us seek innovative solutions.

If you’ve experienced failure, know that you’re not alone. A quick Google search will show you there’s no shortage of leaders and experts in their field who have failed at one time or another – Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling, even Abraham Lincoln had several failed runs at political office before he became our 16th president.  If failure is something you’re struggling with, please feel free to reach out to Amna Hasnain Coaching – I’d love to connect and help you overcome those challenges.