Learn to View Your Failures As Learning Experiences

In discussing the power of leadership and its necessity for successful performance in organizations, I started with a quote by Victor Kiam: "What we are made of is not so much the sum of our parts but the sum of our values," he said. He continued, "If we could find a way to blend these two powerful forces, we would have found the ultimate team." I thought about this and further reflected on Kiam's comment and upon various other conversations I've had with leaders in various organizations and industries. That's when I realized that what we are really talking about when we talk about growth and development is a team concept.


The basic idea is that we each bring something unique to the table that sets us apart. In fact, everyone brings something. We all have different skills, abilities, talents, etc. What we have in common is not so much the diversity of our contributions but the similarities of our basic ideas or concepts. People come with different perspectives-some more flexible than others-and we need to think about how those differences can be used to enrich our leadership and management styles and approach.

Failure is part of life. Just ask anyone who has succeeded. The reality is that most people who have succeeded over time have also encountered failures. Most successful people have also worked hard to overcome failures and learning from them. The difference is that successful people know that even when things get tough they can and will rise above the setbacks and still achieve their goals.

By viewing failures as learning experiences-and learning experiences that lead to growth-we give ourselves permission to look at failure as a stepping-stone rather than as an absolute zero. We are able to look at failure as a learning opportunity and not as something we need to just 'get over' in one fell swoop. Successful leaders take failure as a learning experience and use it to further their personal development as well as their leadership skills and qualities.

How do we foster growth in the face of failures? First, we must have a growth mindset. Without a growth mindset we will always view failure as a negative event and we will put up resistance to change. To overcome failures, we must first be open to learning about them, and then we must be willing (and able) to embrace change.

Growth mindsets allow us to view failures as opportunities. In fact, by viewing failures as opportunities, we can actually learn new skills from them! Growth mindsets encourage us to look at any situation objectively, as a problem that we can solve. They also encourage us to test and implement the solutions we learn. This way, rather than viewing failures as a setback, we learn to see them as opportunities for growth.

Consider this example. Imagine a car that has an automatic brake system that helps avoid a rollover when the road is wet or icy. Imagine a car without that automatic brake system that helps prevent the rollover. Both of these cars would present a serious safety risk if they were rolled over.


By adopting growth mindset, we are able to not only see opportunities, but to act on them quickly. We are also able to apply what we learn from our past experiences, and take actions that can minimize our future risks. More importantly, we are able to learn new things by doing this, and become better learners in our future. This applies to everything that we do - and even to people that we come in contact with, such as co-workers, bosses, and customers. By growing in a healthy, dynamic learner, we develop confidence, adaptability, and flexibility - all valuable traits that are vital in managing any situation.