Failing Forward

“If failure is not an option, neither is success.”
 - Seth Godin

I drive a 2011 Honda Pilot with about 180 thousand miles on it. Not long ago I brought it to my mechanic for an oil change. My “check engine” light was on as well. My mechanic told me that it was a code for emissions and that when the time came for the emissions check it would fail. I asked him how much it would cost to repair. He said, “it will run you around $1200 to fix.” I thought, “Oof. All right. I got time.” The next week I got an e-mail saying the emissions test was due in about a month.

I didn’t know what to do, so I did nothing for a while - but then the deadline to take the car for the test came closer. I wasn’t ready to spend the money on fixing the car especially since it was running fine and I really didn’t have time to get it to the mechanic before the emissions testing due date. What should I do? I had two options: One, do nothing and stay home on this Saturday morning; or two, take it to the testing site, knowing it would probably fail. As I thought about it, I reasoned that at least if I took the car for the emissions testing then my next step would be made immediately clearer. I also prayed that the car would miraculously pass.

So, I got off my couch, got dressed, and drove over to the emissions testing center. I had expected to wait in line but was early enough that no one else was there yet. I took the test and for a moment I thought the car passed. But then the guy at the testing said, “Your car failed. Head into the office to learn about your options.”

In the office a cheerful lady explained I had another four months to get the problem fixed. (So, I bought myself four months.) She also said that if I spent $450 on emissions repairs and it still failed, I would get a waiver on emissions for another year. Suddenly my $1200 problem became a $450 problem.

My car failed but the failure bought me time so I avoided other financial penalties. In the process, I also learned a few things as well. I feared the failure but the failure helped me in the process.

Maybe you can relate to this: I think my greatest fear is failure. I fear the experience of failure and being associated with anything that is a failure. My hunch is that most leaders share this fear. We want to lead because we want to build and create something successful, something that makes a difference in the world and in people’s lives. If I fail then maybe I’m not a leader; maybe I don’t have what it takes to accomplish a goal or move a team.

We see this played out in the lives of many of the great leaders and heroes in Scripture:

• Moses doesn’t want to say yes to God’s call at the beginning because he fears failure.
• Joshua fears failure in succeeding Moses.
• Elijah prays for death because he believes he has been a failure in his ministry and work.

What we can learn from these examples is that failure is simply a part of life and leadership. We won’t get to where we want to go without failures. If you are trying to lead people into a bold vision or build something of eternal value, you will undoubtedly experience failures and setbacks. You will make poor decisions, ones you wish you could take back. But those failures don’t define you and they don’t have to defeat you. Never let your fear of failure keep you from moving forward.

When we embrace failure instead of fearing it, it helps us in three major ways:

One, it frees us from analysis paralysis. When we are unsure what to do and what will succeed, we can just sit on the couch and do nothing. We should certainly think through our actions. Play the movie as best we can, but eventually we will need to take action and make decisions without absolute certainty that they will work. Some problems seem inscrutable. We don’t know how we will succeed. Usually when we take action or make a decision, it gets us moving forward and the path to success will open up.

Second, embracing failure means we can accept our own limitations and weaknesses so we can grow. If you never fail, you will never grow. If you can’t admit that something failed or didn’t work as you hoped, you cannot improve. If failure can never be acknowledged because you fear failure then you will limit your personal growth and that of your team. Of course, failure is not the goal, but we often have to get through failure to get to success. That’s what Seth Godin means when he says, “If failure is not an option, neither is success.”

Third, embracing failure opens us up to God’s grace. We confess our sins and failures not to browbeat ourselves, but because confession allows us to receive God’s grace and mercy. Just as confessing your personal sins allows God’s grace into your soul, confessing and acknowledging leadership failures allows God’s grace into your leadership and your organization. It is okay to say something didn’t work or that you made a bad call or a poor choice. God gives grace to the humble.

Don’t let your failures defeat you or define you. In Christ, you are more than a conqueror.

Rooting for you,
Tom