A Sure Sign of a Failing Leader

Failure is such a scary word.

We talk about how to avoid it, why it’s actually not something to be avoided, what to do about it, how to learn from it, and the list goes on.

The good news is that failure is generally a temporary situation, not a permanent state.

Regardless of that fact, I wager you are like me in that you do not enjoy failure, however temporary it may be. Just because it is a way we develop and grow doesn’t mean we relish the uncomfortableness of looking like a fool and (perhaps dramatically) missing the mark.

Is there a way to determine if we are headed toward failure?

Sometimes failure does literally drop into our laps in quite an unexpected and unforeseen way.

Many times, however, we can see it coming a mile away.

That’s if we’re looking.

Here’s a way to see it coming: look at where you spend your time.

Failure teaches us what we have not yet had the chance to experience or taken the time to learn.

Do an honest assessment and ask yourself this one question: when did I last set aside time to learn and innovate?

When leaders do not make time to learn and innovate, it is a sure sign they are failing.

There are only two directions in life: forward or backward.

There is no such thing as standing still.

If your brain hasn’t felt the struggle of expanding and growing for a bit, if you can’t remember the last time you tried something new, if you are in a stagnant routine, stop and take stock.

Failure will wake you up if you don’t do it first.

It’s better to fail forward than to be backhanded by failure.

Be WITH yourself and consistently set aside time to learn and apply it through innovation.