How to fail well (to become a better entrepreneur) | Author and psychologist Amy Edmondson
Oct 10, 2023
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Amy Edmondson, an influential management thinker, discusses her new book on failure and psychological safety. Topics include aversion to failure, evolving management styles, and embracing failure for personal growth. The podcast also explores the importance of security frameworks, HR management for startups, and strategies for parents to guide their children in approaching failure.
Creating psychological safety allows for innovation and learning in teams and organizations.
Challenging our aversion to failure is crucial for personal growth and success.
Embracing failure as a learning opportunity is becoming increasingly recognized and valued.
Deep dives
Importance of Psychological Safety in Fostering Innovation and Learning
Psychological safety, which involves creating an environment where individuals feel safe to speak up and share their ideas, is crucial for fostering innovation and learning in teams and organizations. It allows people to feel comfortable taking risks, admitting mistakes, and engaging in open and honest discussions. Leaders can promote psychological safety by reframing the work to emphasize learning and experimentation, inviting input from all team members, and responding productively to ideas and feedback.
Understanding the Natural Aversion to Failure
Humans have a natural aversion to failure due to a variety of factors, including the fear of rejection or humiliation and a desire to succeed and be thought highly of. This aversion is deeply ingrained in our social environment and upbringing. It is instinctive and stems from our evolutionary need for social acceptance and survival in ancient times. However, this aversion can hinder learning and growth, and it is important to challenge these instincts and embrace failure as a stepping stone to success.
Changing Attitudes Towards Failure and Embracing a Growth Mindset
Attitudes towards failure have been evolving, particularly in the field of education, where there is now a greater emphasis on embracing failure as an opportunity for growth and learning. The work of researchers like Carol Dweck on mindset has contributed to a greater understanding of the importance of embracing failure, taking risks, and developing resilience. While there is still work to be done in fully adopting a growth mindset, there is a growing recognition that failure is a necessary part of the learning process and a stepping stone to success.
Cultural Variations in Attitudes Towards Failure
Attitudes towards failure can vary across cultures, with some cultures being more accepting of failure than others. For example, in the United States, there is a prevalent narrative that failure is a normal part of the entrepreneurial journey and is viewed as a stepping stone to success. However, in cultures that place a strong emphasis on success and achievement, such as Japan, failure can be viewed as shameful and is strongly avoided. Cultural attitudes towards failure can influence the way individuals perceive and respond to failure.
Intelligent Failures and the Importance of Learning from Failure
Not all failures are created equal, and it is important to distinguish between intelligent failures and preventable failures. Intelligent failures occur when thoughtful experiments or initiatives do not produce the desired outcome but provide valuable learning opportunities. Preventable failures, on the other hand, are caused by negligence or lack of effort. By focusing on intelligent failures and consistently learning from them, individuals and organizations can continue to grow, innovate, and achieve success.
Amy Edmondson has spent her life dedicated to studying failure and psychological safety. It’s her belief that the most successful cultures are those in which you can fail openly, without your mistakes being held against you.
Amy is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School and has been named by Thinkers50 as the most influential management thinker in the world. Her work has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Psychology Today and Harvard Business Review, and been drawn upon by companies including Google, Pixar and Microsoft.
She joined us on Secret Leaders to talk more about her new book ‘Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach us to Thrive’ which provides the science and solutions for us to promote greater innovation, efficiency and safety – both across the workplace and in our personal lives.
