MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 9, 2022 / Among the many emotions that are elicited by competitive environments, fear of failure is oftentimes a construct that arises as a common denominator. Take for example tennis superstar Emma Raducanu during this year's U.S. Open edition. The former champion has been labeled a "failure" by sports commentators based on every error made on the tennis court after losing to a more seasoned, veteran player in the first round and closing the door on her chance to defend her last year's title and historic run. Prior to the tournament, there had been quite some speculation on whether Raducanu would be able to push through the pressure that many people including the press and tennis experts were holding up against her. With the U.S. Open title defense being over, surely the expectation will be a bit lower, the target on her back a little smaller and the way forward would frame more opportunities rather than pitfalls.
While it is common for high-performance athletes to experience and endure high-pressure challenges, it is important to note this is where the lessons happen most often. It is during the split second of a mistake where the teachings seep in. This also reminds us that failure can occur anywhere in life, and to those who are labeled as experienced or experts in a field. Even one of the top teenage tennis players experiences this feeling of failure.
Recently Jozef Opdeweegh, author of the values-based leadership book "Fair Value; reflections on good business" and experienced CEO, shared his thoughts on failure and how the fear of it is the ultimate test for building character, grit, resilience, and ultimately, success. Opdeweegh compares moments of what most claim to be a failure and explains them as moments to reset.
As Opdeweegh points out, "Even heroes have fears, to some degree. But they do what's required despite their fears, ultimately becoming stronger in the process." The task of managing people, with their various motivations, strengths and weaknesses, can prove daunting. Organizational dynamics, rapidly changing markets and tough competition only add to leaders' challenges.
Failure Can Lead to Personal Growth
If failure creates this incredible opportunity for learning and growing, why do we fear failure so much? Since we cannot simply remove the possibility of setbacks and disappointment, we must remind ourselves of the opportunity to turn failure into findings. Failure is the foundation for character development, grit, and resilience, Opdeweegh assures. For us, this could look like "making the most of our skills while building our experience." Pushing ourselves to not only try new things but challenge our strengths and skills that we currently consider to have mastered. The ability to understand how we view failure in a positive light is what separates strong leaders and mentors from the rest.
Trusting the Process
You will not know unless you try, a phrase most of us are familiar with. Opdeweegh emphasizes that for leadership, flaws are not highlighted without failure. Cracks in a foundation may go unnoticed if failure isn't there to expose them and provide us with a chance to rebuild. Similarly, strengths cannot be highlighted without failure, proving where we still lie strong. This does not go without saying that failure should ultimately become right, and we should be passive about mistakes. We must take smart risks and weigh the outcomes. Opdeweegh stresses that it's not about not caring to fail, it's about understanding that when we fail if we choose to do so, we can take it as an opportunity to grow. We must trust the experience of both the highs and lows of personal life and business.
Leaving Room for Vulnerability
"To gain respect from coworkers and fine-tune your leadership approach, you must be able to accept -and even share-your past mistakes as learning opportunities, so we keep moving forward," explains Opdeweegh in a previous piece that covers how leaders must embrace the healthy admission of failure, as it allows us to move forward from the past. In today's age, there is also an abundance of resources to step in when failure seems to take over. When we lean into vulnerability, we are able to share our experiences for the collective good, allowing others to learn from us.
Failure is unavoidable, but we can put our minds at ease knowing that it is a natural human experience, and one that we can all relate to. Take those fears and turn them into opportunities. With over two decades of business experience, Jozef Opdeweegh has valuable insight when it comes to learning from workplace mistakes. By making commitments to share and take accountability, not repeat mistakes, and coach others, leaders can turn their mistakes into pivotal lessons that help everyone in the workplace to become better at what they do.
For more on how our core values can shape the way we lead, check out Jozef Opdeweegh's new book, Fair Value: Reflection on Good Business, published by Koehler Books. Get your copy at your favorite bookstore or retailer today!
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SOURCE: Jozef Opdeweegh
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