For many people, failure is scary. People are so scared of failing that they never start anything. They never try anything new, and they never try to accomplish their life goals.
In this article, I’m not only going to prove to you that failing isn’t as bad as you think; but I brought on an expert in leadership development who will cover three things you didn’t know about failure and why it’s a sign of success.
In personal development and most things in life, failing is a sign of progression. Without failure, no one would ever discover anything new, and people would be complacent. This article is not meant for the complacent; it’s intended for the action takers.
For those who don’t know, my guest Dorothy Enriquez is the founder of The Ellevate Collective, formerly known as The Communication Strategist. She’s dedicated to helping organizations and individuals optimize their leadership to be equipped to lead from every seat they sit in. She and the founding partners strive to make leadership accessible, relatable, and transformative. They offer custom solutions that help leaders be equipped to lead from every seat they sit in. When leaders are optimized, they can produce more leaders.
Serving clients such as African American Leadership Alliance Milwaukee, Apartment Association Kansas City, Northwestern Mutual, Scottsdale Community College, Kohl’s, The Y, Campbell’s The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee, Rockwell Automation & The City of Milwaukee, Ellevate strategically supports you through your leadership transformation in a relatable and impactful way.
She covers leadership and failure and how they’re one in this article.
A Leader Fails More Often Than Other People Fail
People see someone with success, and they usually end up thinking that they got lucky or got the upper hand or the market was right and that if they tried the same thing, they would probably fail.
That thinking causes the belief that people with success haven’t failed at all, which isn’t the case.
Successful people with ventures in anything have failed more than the average person.
The reason why is because most successful people fail time and time again, and as high performers, they do so willingly and often to make sure that they succeed quicker.
Failure is part of success, and there is no way around it. There is a natural part of life, and the quicker you can accept that as a stepping stone to success.
Those who think failure is an endpoint usually never start and are suffering from a severe case of a fixed mindset.
What’s the Worst That Can Happen?
So when you do start, think about what is the worst that could happen. In all reality, our brain is designed to help us stay safe, so it will always play into the most dangerous scenario that can happen to us.
We have to reprogram our minds to make sure that we’re not constantly thinking of the dangers that can happen if you start a business, try to be successful in your career, or try to do something with your life.
So think about what is the worst that can happen because, in all reality, it usually doesn’t happen that way. Still, just in case for you to be safe, Dorothy recommends writing down all of your contingency plans in pencil and paper just in case something doesn’t go as planned.
So that way, you have plans in place if things go wrong, and you have plans for worst-case scenarios. Life’s worst-case scenarios are extreme; I don’t know anyone who has ever gone backward by progressing in life and their personal development. No case study in the world can back up that you’ll go backward in life if you work on yourself.
Taking a Stand
Failing isn’t as bad as you think because most people don’t say a word when they end up failing.
They should realize that failing is a natural part of life, but you don’t have to stay there. Dorothy recommends taking a stand. Taking a stand allows you to recover from the blow to your confidence. You can find small ways to show yourself that you are still a remarkable leader and that you’re growing and learning. This step will help you regain confidence in your decisions, voice, and other elements that impact your leadership practice after a failure.
