Failing Well with professor of leadership Dr. Amy Edmondson
Sep 19, 2023
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Amy Edmondson, a Harvard Business School Professor of Leadership and Management, shares insights on transforming our relationship with failure. She discusses how failure can inspire innovation and growth, using examples from 3M’s culture of embracing mistakes. Edmondson highlights the importance of psychological safety in teams, where trust allows individuals to take risks without fear. She also addresses how effective leadership nurtures vulnerability and communication, paving the way for continuous improvement and creativity in organizations.
Making distinctions between different types of failures is crucial in navigating the territory of failure and learning to fail well.
Embracing failures and fostering a culture of innovation and learning can lead to significant success.
Deep dives
The Importance of Failing Well
Dr. Amy Edmondson's book, 'The Right Kind of Wrong,' explores the concept of failing well. Not all failures are the same - while some failures should be avoided and are even embarrassing, others provide valuable insights and bring progress. Making distinctions between different types of failures is crucial in navigating this territory.
Reframing Failure with Different Terms
The term 'failure' can be ambiguous, encompassing both minor mistakes and valuable discoveries. By using different words like 'mistake' and 'discovery,' the negative connotations associated with failure can be mitigated, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of the benefits of failure.
Learning from 3M's Approach to Failure
The company 3M embraces failures and puts a strong emphasis on learning from them. Instead of labeling something as a failure, they see it as not meeting the brief, highlighting the potential value in unintentional outcomes. 3M's open sharing of failures fosters a culture of innovation and has led to their significant success.
Building Psychological Safety and Overcoming Fear
Psychological safety, the belief that taking risks won't be punished, is vital for creating an environment where failure is tolerated and learning is encouraged. Leaders can promote psychological safety by being open about their own vulnerabilities and by fostering a supportive team dynamic. Overcoming personal and organizational fear is essential to embrace failure as a catalyst for growth and innovation.
Failure is the secret to success. Our failures are agents of inspiration, iteration, and innovation.
Dr. Amy Edmondson is the Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School and her newest book "Right Kind of Wrong" is all about how we can change our relationship with failures and start “failing well.”
This is…A Bit of Optimism.
For more on Dr. Amy Edmondson and her work check out: