This is the ninth and last post I’ll make for the new General Manager… it talks about failure, how it’s inevitable if you are to learn and grow and how you can also be a become better at more intelligent when approaching failure.
Failure is an inevitable part of life, especially in the realm of leadership. New leaders must embrace the idea of failing in order to succeed. As Amy C. Edmondson writes in her article, Strategies for Learning from Failure, “failure is not a black mark on one’s career but an opportunity to learn, grow, and ultimately succeed.” In this blog post, we will explore how new leaders can learn better from their own failures and how to fail better.
Edmondson proposes a typology of failure, which categorizes failures into three types: preventable, complex, and intelligent.
Preventable failures are the most basic type of failure, caused by a lack of attention to detail or adherence to standard procedures. These types of failures are often the easiest to fix, as they simply require better adherence to established protocols or procedures. Leaders can learn from preventable failures by implementing stricter controls and procedures to prevent similar failures from occurring in the future.
Complex failures, on the other hand, are caused by a combination of factors, including multiple interdependent variables, shifting priorities, and complex systems. These types of failures can be more challenging to address, as they require a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying factors that led to the failure. Leaders can learn from complex failures by developing a more nuanced understanding of the factors that contributed to the failure and implementing changes to address those factors.
Intelligent failures are the most complex type of failure and are often the most difficult to recognize. Intelligent failure was originally coined by behavioral psychologist Sim Sitkin , in his groundbreaking work, “ Learning Through Failure – The Strategy of Small Losses.” Sitkin noticed that most organizations try to engineer failure out of their process, robbing themselves of the opportunity to identify weaknesses before small failures become big catastrophes. The keyword in this discussion is intelligent. Sitkin recommended building learning experiences that supported experimentation, allowing the learner to explore and challenge assumptions and test them out in some actionable way through a project or test. These “planned failures” must meet specific criteria:
- They arise out of a planned, controlled experience, so you can figure out the cause of the failure.
- The outcome cannot be known in advance. Think of it as an experiment.
- They are modest in scale, avoiding a major catastrophe.
- They are designed to take place in a short period of time.
- The content directly applies to the work of the individual or the organization.
Leaders can learn from intelligent failures by encouraging experimentation and risk-taking within their organizations and by developing a culture of learning from failure.
The first step for new leaders is to recognize that failure is a natural part of the learning process. The fear of failure can be paralyzing, but it is important for leaders to push through that fear and take calculated risks. If new leaders avoid taking risks, they will miss out on valuable learning opportunities that can help them grow and improve.
Once a failure has occurred, it is important for leaders to reflect on what went wrong and what they could have done differently. The above diagram can be used to assess the failure and a suggested response. If the failure is yours accepting and assessing personal failure requires a willingness to be vulnerable and to admit mistakes. It can be difficult to confront one’s own shortcomings, but it is essential for leaders who want to learn and grow.
Another important aspect of learning from failure is to seek the opinion of others. This can be difficult, as it requires a level of humility and openness to criticism. However, such views can provide valuable insights into how a leader can improve and avoid making the same mistakes in the future.
Finally, leaders can learn to fail better by creating a culture of psychological safety within their organization. This means creating an environment where people feel safe to take risks and make mistakes without fear of retribution. When employees feel safe to fail, they are more likely to take risks and innovate, which can lead to growth and success for the organization as a whole.
Failure is an essential part of the learning process for new leaders. Leaders who fear failure deprive themselves and their organizations of the valuable lessons and opportunities that come with it. By embracing the idea of failing and learning from mistakes, leaders can grow and improve their skills. It is important to reflect on failures, seek feedback, and create a culture of psychological safety in order to fail better and ultimately succeed. As Edmondson writes, “embracing failure may be the single most important learning to come out of the digital age.”
if you’re reading this, my sincere thanks for your time and I trust I have provided value… if not I trust my work has been an intelligent failure.
Great series. Really fantastic