Accountability for failure is a key leadership hallmark … and sadly missing all too often. Greg Larkin noted some recent gaps in a LinkedIn post about how “failing fast” created … failure (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-screwed-up-its-my-fault-greg-larkin/). We have also seen many examples of “celebrity” executives that preside over the sinking of the company ship then go right to another key role.
The danger is usually in the extremes … “fail fast” including failing in the mission/ultimate goal, and “failure is not an option” including any “failure” along the way (e.g., https://novusleadershipinstitute.com/2017/06/10/failure-not-option-produces-failure/).
Thinking those are the two options creates a false dichotomy.
“Fail fast” can work and be valuable when it’s learning for course correction along the way to the end goal, or to decide that the end goal is unrealistic and take another path. It won’t work amid either a risk averse culture or a mindset of infallibility and irresponsibility in final outcomes.
Creating an understanding of what “fail fast” should look like and balancing accountability with different levels/types of “failure” is hard leadership work. And it is continuing work, not just a “one speech and done.”
- It starts with defining “failure” … what does it really mean in your business?
- What are the implications of “failure”?
- Have you unintentionally created a culture of either failure without accountability OR where no failure is tolerated?
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