The Importance of a Near Miss: Sarah Lewis (Harvard)
Jul 3, 2024
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Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Harvard professor, discusses how failure can lead to success. She explores the concept of 'ever onward almost' in art, athletics, and business leadership. Embracing failure as a catalyst for mastery and the importance of near wins are key themes of the conversation.
Embrace failure as a catalyst for success and mastery, not just momentary achievements.
Back-turned paintings in art symbolize crucial phases of creativity and innovation.
Value near-wins in archery as intrinsic motivators for continuous growth and development.
Deep dives
Embracing Mastery Over Success
Mastery transcends mere success as exemplified by archers hitting bullseyes. Sarah Lewis delves into the concept of 'mere wins', emphasizing the importance of continuous practice and the pursuit of mastery beyond momentary achievements. The narrative unfolds with Sarah Lewis recounting her significant failure during high school, highlighting the transformative impact of setbacks in shaping individual growth and mastery.
Significance of Back-Turned Paintings
In art studios, back-turned paintings symbolize experiments and questions posed by artists to themselves, embodying a crucial phase in creativity. These unfinished works, shielded from external assessment, are vital elements in the artistic process, fostering innovation and evolution. Sarah Lewis relates the significance of back-turned paintings to the internal world of artists, distinguishing between external validation and the intrinsic journey towards mastery.
Journey to Mastery Through Near-Wins
The podcast explores the distinction between success and mastery through the lens of archery, revealing the intrinsic motivation derived from near-wins. Sarah Lewis reflects on the archers' resilience and persistent pursuit in the face of varying outcomes, underscoring the cognitive activation triggered by near misses. The discussion extends to the psychological impact of nearing goals, fostering continuous growth and development.
Promoting Creativity and Innovation
Sarah Lewis navigates the challenges of groupthink in organizational settings, advocating for deliberate dissent and safe spaces for exploring near-wins and failures. Drawing parallels to the entertainment industry's 'Blacklist' innovation and the Solomon Ash experiment, she emphasizes the necessity of fostering creativity through individual reflection and divergent perspectives. The narrative underscores the transformative potential of cultural shifts and leadership strategies in nurturing innovative practices.
Embracing the Pursuit of Mastery
Sarah Lewis and the host dissect the allure of pursuing mastery over conventional success, highlighting the perpetual nature of growth and innovation. The conversation delves into the intrinsic motivation derived from continual pursuit, transcending mere achievements and emphasizing the transformative power of enduring processes. The dialogue resonates with the essence of co-creation and purpose-driven endeavors that surpass individual acclaim, fostering a deeper connection to larger narratives and evolving landscapes.
In this episode, Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, a Harvard professor of History of Art and Architecture and African and African American Studies, joins Guy to discuss the role of failure in achieving mastery. Dr. Lewis, author of "The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery," delves into the concept of the “ever onward almost” in art, athletics, and business leadership. Learn more from this 2022 conversation about how failure can be a powerful catalyst for success.
More about Dr. Lewis: She served on President Obama's Arts Policy Committee, and is the creator of the Vision and Justice project, which explores the intersection of visual art, race, social justice, and democracy. Dr. Lewis's project has led to an exhibition, an award-winning Aperture magazine issue, a popular TED Talk, and a Harvard class that's now part of the core curriculum.
