Why do we have a fear of failure? I guess it’s always been there. It’s natural to be a little apprehensive when trying something new for the first time, but if we let this feeling take over it could lead us down a path where nothing new is tried. Imagine the limitations we place on ourselves if we only attempt things we know we will succeed at.

When we let our fear of failure stop us we are potentially missing out on some of our greatest learning opportunities.

Strong leaders accept failure. They use it as an opportunity to learn, they actively develop a culture where people are encouraged to push their limits, to step out of their comfort zones and take a chance. High quality leaders will look at setbacks, provide feedback and investigate how things can be improved. They provide encouragement and a supportive environment. They know that sometimes we learn best by seeing what doesn’t work. They understand that sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know. Some might say, if you haven’t failed you haven’t tried anything new. I believe it’s Ok to fail, as long as it is for the right reasons. Failure happens, it’s part of life, not learning from it and repeating the same process is the real mistake.

If we don’t allow people to try new things and fail occasionally we develop an unhealthy almost stifling culture, where fear of failure impedes progress. When we let our fear of failure stop us we are potentially missing out on some of our greatest learning opportunities. In some ways we may even get more out of our failures than we do from our successes. History is littered with people who have failed; Thomas Edison famously said “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Imagine if Edison stopped after his first attempt. What if Edison didn’t have the resilience to carry on? Failure teaches resilience. I’m sure you have found that some people have this in short supply. Resilience can be taught; however, it requires you to pick yourself up, look at where things went wrong and devise a plan for the next time you encounter this situation. It also requires the right environment where mistakes are certainly not encouraged, but are accepted and used as teaching tools for further development.

Action research seems to be a big push at the moment. What is action research? It’s the process of testing a theory, collating some evidence and refining the practice to make improvements. In essence it’s the process of analysing actions so you can do better next time. It actively encourages you to look at your failures and learn from them. Action research often involves learning communities who work together to look at practices that are not as successful as hoped. This learning community is often embracing failure as a way of developing innovation and enhancing practice. A school that encourages action research is therefore developing a culture that supports its members taking calculated risks and expanding their learning. In doing so it is taking action to strengthen and further enhance its ability to respond to the specific needs of the community it serves.

I see learning from failure as one key difference between the successful and the unsuccessful. The successful keep going. They keep refining, refocusing and refusing to give up. They do not accept defeat and actively seek a new solution; they certainly don’t pass blame and point the finger. They take calculated risks, knowing why they try something new. They look at a potential hurdle, analyse current practice and actively work through a process to find a solution. Success is built on hard work, refinement and an unrelenting pursuit of achieving your goal.

In many ways we actually need failure. If we constantly succeed at everything we do we develop a false economy. Always coming out on top may cause us to never actually take time to analyse and find ways to enhance what we do.  It can lead to a, if it works don’t mess with it attitude. Sometimes failure is the motivation we need to make real change. It should promote strong reflection and encourage commitment to ensure that the same mistake is not made again.

The fear of failure can be a really difficult obstacle to overcome, but the reality is that at some point it will happen to all of us. It’s how you deal with it and the environment that you fail in that is key. You can learn a great deal about a school by how they respond to failure. What strategies do they put in place to support the next effort? How do they encourage continued innovation? How do they help to build resilience? Consider these questions the next time someone in your school tries something that is not as successful as it was intended to be. I am by no way condoning repeated and ongoing failure. I am however encouraging us to support each other, to take risks and to make informed decisions that enhance the opportunities of the students we serve.