Introduction 

Failure is a word that often strikes fear into the hearts of leaders. It’s painful, and the potential consequences can be anxiety-inducing. And yet, the reality is that failure is oftentimes necessary for development. One of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan, understood this well. He once said, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Jordan saw failure as a source of inspiration. He didn’t just utter these words; he lived them. He never shied away from crucial moments, understanding that success often walks hand in hand with the risk of failure. Effective leaders share this perspective; they are not paralyzed by the fear of failure and do not shame their team members when they stumble. Instead, moments of failure are anticipated and sometimes embraced to develop failure-tolerant teams.

Failure Tolerance 

Failure tolerance is all about creating an environment where team members are encouraged to show courage even in the face of the fear of failing. They’re urged to take calculated risks, think innovatively, and find inspiration in their mistakes. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean creating a culture where failure is normal or accepted without learning from it. Rather, it’s about leaders and teams actively studying their failures to avoid making the same errors in the future. 

However, let’s be honest, failing isn’t fun; who enjoys falling short of their goals? But the real value of failure lies in how you handle it. Effective leaders know how to turn failure into an opportunity for personal and organizational growth, using it as a steppingstone toward success.

Failing Forward: Three Key Concepts 

According to Daniel Coyle, author of “The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups,” there are three concepts that must be honored for groups to experience success: safety, vulnerability, and purpose. Each of these concepts can be honored by providing your team members permission to fail through a failure-tolerant culture:

1. Safety: A culture of safety is where team members feel valued and have a sense of belonging. Moments of failure can leave teammates questioning their fit within a team. Leaders can establish safety in these moments through prioritized connections with teammates. When failure occurs, start by demonstrating understanding and empathy. This creates a space for the team members to be open to constructive feedback, which can be used to increase their awareness of opportunities for improvement. 
2. Vulnerability: Trust is built on vulnerability. When team members experience failure, leaders should be willing to open up about their own past failures and how they navigated and learned from those situations. No one is perfect, and sharing these experiences strengthens relationships. 
3. Purpose: Safety and vulnerability are established through unity, and unity can be experienced through purpose-driven work. Having a unified purpose is a recipe for successful collaboration. Failure brings up strong emotions that make it difficult to see the learning opportunities it presents. Leaders can establish emotional stability by having controlled reactions in moments of failure. Acknowledge the reality of the failure, but do not forget to link the experience with an opportunity. Ask yourself, how does overcoming this hiccup allow us to continue to live out our organization’s mission?

Reflection: In what ways are you seeking to develop a failure-tolerant work culture? How can honoring the concepts of safety, vulnerability, and purpose enhance your failure tolerance as a leader?