Embrace Failure... and Learn!

Do you hide your failures from the people around you?

Or do you embrace your failure and use it as a teaching moment for yourself and others? Sharing your failures is a must—it can create a culture of healthy risk-taking and collaborative support within a team.

Here’s one of my own—I nearly flunked out of college. My mother grew up without running water in her home.  She overcame an unsupportive family to be a first-generation college graduate. She worked three jobs to give me the opportunity to attend school… and there I was, failing in my final year. I chose to study physics/math early on, but I simply couldn’t muster the motivation to do what it took to succeed at that level. Indeed, I let down my family and I failed.

In retrospect, what I learned was that while my grades in physics/math were abysmal, my grades in other classes were pretty good. I was also inspired by other activities like leadership, faith, and research. With the benefit of hindsight, I realize that I hadn’t failed at life...I just needed to change paths.By sharing this story of failure, I hope to support students who are struggling with their career path and give them some proof that you can change your path at any stage of your life. 

#Failure #Culture #Leadership