Failure is something many people live in fear of and as entrepreneurs, we should know that failure is not the end of life as we know it. Sometimes we need to get value from failure. Therefore, we have to embrace it and all of its permutations, but this is easier said than done, especially in business. So what does it take to learn how to embrace the concept of failure?
Use Fear as a Focus
Fear of what will happen in a disaster is a very good example of something that can fine-tune your focus so you can be more proactive and prepare disaster plans. The great thing is that while there is an abundance of disasters that can strike any business, there are also many ways that we can deal with them. A company like Noggin provides an abundance of resources that can potentially help you, and you can learn about Noggin to see if they can help you. Rather than focusing on failure and worrying about it creeping up, you need to use focus as a reason to get up off your butt and figure out the best ways to prepare yourself for disasters! Because it’s not about living in fear of nothing. When you know what you’re fearful of, you can take actionable steps to prepare for these external entities.
Realizing Failure Is a Part of Life
Running a business means that you are going to encounter obstacles. And this is something that shouldn’t just be felt by you, but by your team. Individuals that fear failure will never deliver stellar results. They will only deliver mediocre outcomes because they are rewarded for the predictable outcomes rather than striving beyond their capabilities. This is not just to do with your team, but how you react to failure. If you can empower your team to work beyond their expectations and define a process to ensure that your employees are dedicated to striving beyond expectations and stretching their objectives without fear of failure means that you are going to venture beyond the mediocre. But this is why you need to ensure employees are always ready to be brave, rather than rest on their laurels.
Reframe Your Perspective of Failure
Many people view failure as the last nail in the coffin. But whether you are trying to bring your business back from disaster or find another way to solve a problem, failure is something that is inevitable. Rather than living in fear of failure, you must understand that failures are the opportunity to learn something new. When you experience a failure, you are going to learn far more from this than any success. The problem we all have is that we fear failure and we may potentially foster a framework that communicates that failure is just not an option. If you are like this, is it a surprise that your employees are constantly living in fear of failure? Rather than avoid discomfort, think about the values failure can bring. Because ultimately it will make you more fearless.
