Failures Are Just Lessons

A failure, whether business or personal, can seem like an ending. There is a terrible sense of dread or finality for most of us when we come up against a failure or setback, and the idea of losing can stop us in our tracks. Unfortunately, this mindset will never lead to success. Letting failure stand in your path is a sure way to ensure you never move forward at all.

For business leaders and entrepreneurs, it is important to recognize failures for what they truly are: opportunities. Every challenge can teach you something, every obstacle provides training, and each failure makes you learn about yourself and your business.

Just think about how inspiring it is to listen to someone talk about the struggles they have overcome. If a speaker only shared a rose-colored-glasses view of life, they would not provide much motivation. Instead, listening to others detail their setbacks and failures can encourage us to preserve in the face of hardships. Keep reading to learn why failures are really just lessons.

We remember negative information.

Science has proven the value in sharing our failures. As much as we would all like to focus on the positive and live in a world where nothing bad ever happens, that is not reality. And that approach does not teach us very much. Instead, our brains are more likely to remember negative information. The heartbreak of a failure or the gut-wrenching feeling that comes with a setback are engrained in our brains for a long time to come.

Listening to others talk about their failures and discussing our own failures forces us to remember the negative information. We have to dive into what went wrong and where we came up short. This information is stored in our brains, and we can call upon it as needed in the future.

Failure makes us take responsibility.

If you are going to take credit for the success of your business, you must also take responsibility for its failures. It is easy to be the leader when things are running smoothly, but it is much harder to acknowledge your role in a setback or failure. Failures in business and our personal lives make us humble. They require us to take responsibility for our actions, assess what we did wrong, and determine how we can do better the next time.

Taking responsibility for failure can help build respect and loyalty among your team. Instead of passing the blame, you can learn from your mistakes and help your team do the same. Denying failure, blaming others, and creating excuses will only serve to diminish morale and cost the respect of your employees.

Create an environment where mistakes are positive.

You certainly do not want to encourage your employees to make mistakes by producing subpar work. However, you can create a company culture that highlights the positives of mistakes and takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Instead of letting a mistake derail your team’s momentum and morale, support your employees as they learn and grow.

Viewing mistakes as positive things is not easy to do, but it can provide many benefits for your organization. Your employees are more likely to come to you when they need support, help, or additional resources. Problems can be identified sooner and addressed more efficiently, and your team members will be more excited to learn and improve their skills.

Harping on the negative aspects of a setback can have the same effect as placing blame or pointing fingers. While it is important to talk through issues and understand the root of the problem, remember to highlight the benefits of a failure as well. Failure is not the end for your business. Instead, it should be seen as a chance to start again and do better than before.