ENTREPRENEURS / FAILURE
Failure Is the Seed of Growth and Success 740
shares
Add to Queue
NEXT ARTICLE
This website uses cookies to allow us to see how our website and related online services are being used. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our cookie collection. More information about how we collect cookies is found here.
OK
Image credit: Shutterstock
Zach Cutler - Guest Writer Founder & CEO, Cutler PR
November 6, 2014
3 min read
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It’s no secret that our worst fear is often failure. But what if failure was actually a good thing? “Failure is success in progress,” Albert Einstein once said. The great scientist was on to something. Encountering our fears and failures prompts the most necessary changes in our lives and our businesses. Related: Biggest Failures, Best Advice and Defining Success From 14 Inspiring Entrepreneurs Here’s why every person, and every business, needs to fail at some point -- for failure is the very seed of growth and success.
1. Failure creates extraordinary change. Failure can act as a seed for two things: a road to despair or a springboard to growth. What grows out of the initial failure is entirely up to the person who “failed.” It’s easy to become downtrodden and lose motivation when things don’t go as planned. Instead, use the failure as a mechanism to reset your perspective, make a mental change or embark on a new, much-needed direction.
Failure is necessary to shake things up. Otherwise, we would coast along comfortably but we wouldn’t make any quantum leaps.
2. Failure builds tough skin. Failure has an effect similar to a calloused heal. It’s the protective layer we acquire from going around the block a few times and hitting a few bumps. Left soft and unprotected, we easily become injured. Failure builds a thick skin that can help anyone enter the big leagues without fear.
3. Failure keeps the ego in check. Remaining down to earth and honest is a challenge in today’s business world. When deal after deal is going through seamlessly and business is on a steep incline, it’s easy to get a big head. Related: Failure: The Key Ingredient to Winning With that, those experiencing constant success may even resort to dishonesty if it means not losing what they have. They become slaves to success and before realizing it, they’ll do anything to stay on top, things they would never have imagined. Partnerships and friendships are ruined. Family conflicts abound. It’s all downhill from there, maybe except for the bank account. Failure humbles us when we so desperately need to be humbled. It helps us remember where we came from and keeps us in check.
4. Failure creates “aha” moments. Failure creates the moment when something is finally seen, found or understood in a way like never before -- the “aha” moment. Why? It’s just like solving a complicated math problem. It’s tough to understand at first, but walk away for a moment and, suddenly, something clicks. The answer just comes out of nowhere.
But it’s not really coming from “nowhere.” It comes from a buildup within our minds as the constricting thoughts of failure and fear expand. The expansion results in an explosive energy that breaks us out of constriction and into a highly energetic, creative state when things become clear and new insight is gained.
5. Failure propels growth as an entrepreneur. Failure prepares us for what lies ahead. Entrepreneurs come across things they didn’t know they needed to know almost every day. Failures catalyze much of this knowledge because they are unexpected. How else do we learn what we don’t know we need to know? It’s never something that can be planned. Related: Richard Branson on Bouncing Back From Failure Free Webinar: How to Provide Consistent and Extraordinary Customer Experiences Uncover the best practices for improving productivity and reliability, while striving for innovation and growth. Register Now »
Sponsored Business Content
Latin America’s Renewable Energy Revolution
Taught by renowned, full-time Harvard Business School faculty members
LatAm Investors
HBS Executive Education
What do investors need to know about short duration bonds?
“Central Bankers Face a Crisis of Confidence as Models Fail”
AXA Investment Managers
RMG
Where is the clever money going? MarketViews
The Risk of Doing Nothing Waverton
Popular In the Community
HOW TO START A BUSINESS ONLINE
50 WORK-FROM-HOME
WHY MOST
WHICH COUNTRY TO
13 SECRETS FOR
JOBS PAYING AS MUCH
RESTAURANTS
MOVE TO IF YOU'RE
MAKING YOUR
PurpleBowtie
OliveQuill
OliveSubmarine
BlueSailboat
PurpleLamp
15 Oct
27 Dec
2 Nov
16 Mar
5 Feb
This is a brilliant guide for beginners. It's also really worth checking out the Lurn Summit. Some of the best online entrepreneur's in the
All good information but no links to actually find said online jobs.
Great article.
Where is Canada? ( Just north of the USA!)....no I mean on
Where are the tips
Conversation
Be the first to comment...
Terms · Privacy
Add Spot.IM to your site ·
COMPANY
PRODUCTS
EDITIONS
Advertise
Women Entrepreneur
United States
Brand Licensing
Franchise
Middle East
Contact Us
Network
India
Staff
Podcasts
Español
Contribute
Books
Philippines
Reprints & Licensing
Connect
South Africa
Shop
China
GET THE MAGAZINE
Subscribe
J OIN OUR NEWSLETTER
Email...
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Site Map
Copyright © 2018 Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
