I am motivated by the desire to allow people to fail in order to improve. It wasn’t something that I thought about and then instituted, instead it stemmed from a heart-centered desire to help others become successful, content, happy, and motivated in their work. I personally had to develop an intentional behavioral process of stepping outside of my comfort zone and into fear so that I could grow. Therefore, I have significant empathy for those who dare to be different in order to get better at what they do and become more content with their lives.
You have probably heard the old saying, “Nothing worth having will come easily,” and the shorter statement, “Persistence pays.” To me these statements mean; (1) achieving what I want even though it may take some additional or even extraordinary effort; (2) if I keep at something long enough and with enough determination, I will be able to achieve it, even when it is difficult.
Persistence means continuing to put forth a focused effort to attain a goal. Being persistent to an extensive degree often requires being very different from the norm. One example is Abraham Lincoln’s journey to become one of the greatest presidents of the United States. He had many failures along the way but remained focused and different than the average person because he simply would not quit. His path to the presidency illustrates an incredible example of daring to be different.
Being persistent requires courage. Fear, an emotion we know all too well, often blocks us from exhibiting courage. Emotions emanate from our autonomic nervous system (ANS) and largely cannot be controlled. But if we feed good information into our brains, then more useful emotions will be more likely to assume control in our psyches.
How do you effectively renew your mind to reduce fear of failure? The simple answer is to build confidence through positive input into your mind. One way of creating positive input is to build a life based on continuous improvement and the practice of frequently stepping out of your comfort zone. If you fear doing so, the best approach is to look fear square in the face and walk right towards it. It doesn’t mean you won’t fail, but it does allow you to conquer your fear. I believe that if you continually confront your fears, you will become more comfortable doing so. Becoming more comfortable with confronting your fears helps create a “new normal” way of life.
It is courageous to be able to accept failure as part of success. By using failure as the great teacher that it is, you learn and grow. Lincoln withstood significant failures to learn how to succeed in being elected President. If you are a reflective type of person, now may be a good time to reflect on failures and determine what you have learned from them.
I know from experience that not all people can tolerate failure. Perhaps such individuals have challenges baked into their autonomic nervous systems that prevent them from being risk takers. Strong leaders will wisely and lovingly foster a culture that encourages risk-taking without being afraid to fail. When people can take risks without fear of retribution, they become more confident, innovative, and creative. They dare to be different.
Companies can take the same approach. I have worked for smaller, relatively unknown companies as well as giants such as GE and HP (then DEC). Unknown companies have a much more difficult time of getting recognized than the giant, brand names. The only way to compete with the “big” guys is to differentiate yourself as a company, and you can only do that by being different. Being different requires innovation and creativity. It also requires courage. So, no matter your business or personality, dare to be different, be intentional about it and see what happens in your life, job and business.