When Leaders Get It Wrong: Part 2

In our first post of this series, we considered the reality that many of us will face: our ideas will not always come to fruition the way we hope they would. The final thought we left with was this; failure is a temporary necessity to healthy futures. In this post, we will begin considering ways to equip ourselves and our team to face the inevitable failure.

A truth I have found helpful about failure is this; failure is always a possibility.

I know that may not help you sleep well tonight, but consider the consequences of such a thought. If we understand that failure is always possible, then we acknowledge it as a potential reality. We can be prepared to handle the aftermath in a more meaningful way. It will not catch us off guard. We do not plan for failure, nor did we hope for failure, but we can handle failure if we first acknowledged that it is a possibility.

In addition to preparing our hearts, this sort of preparation can motivate and even excite a team. Anytime we are trying something new, pushing boundaries, and dreaming new possibilities, there is a risk of failure. Share this knowledge with your team, and suddenly, there is fuel. The team will gain a sense of risk or a feeling of danger. Immediately your team will begin to feel as though they are playing a part in ground-breaking work. Your team will be taking an active role in shaping the future.

Of course, this is no excuse for work completed halfheartedly. We should work diligently and seek out success.

When we willingly accept that failure is a possibility, then we disarm failure of all its power. In the process, we prepare and even excite our teams. I also believe there is humility that comes from this notion. We understand that even our best ideas may not succeed and thus, we become more dependent upon the Lord.

Dealing with failure begins at the beginning. Let us acknowledge that failure is always a possibility. By knowing such an opportunity exists, we will remain humble, generate excitement, and will not be shocked by the sting of failure’s pain.