Failing Forward

Failing Forward Plot Summary

Introduction

James stood at the edge of the conference room, his hands trembling slightly as he recounted his recent project failure to the team. He had led an initiative that ultimately missed its targets and cost the company resources. Yet instead of hiding or making excuses, he methodically outlined what went wrong, what he learned, and how they could all move forward stronger. His colleagues, initially skeptical, soon began nodding and even building on his insights. By the end of the meeting, what had begun as a post-mortem had transformed into a blueprint for future success. James had somehow turned a clear failure into an opportunity. This transformation—from viewing failure as a devastating end to seeing it as a powerful beginning—lies at the heart of this book. We live in a culture that often celebrates only success while hiding the messy, failure-filled journey that preceded it. Yet true achievement rarely comes without setbacks. The author invites us to reconsider our relationship with failure by showing that the real difference between average people and high achievers isn't that high achievers don't fail—they fail more often. The difference is in how they respond to those failures. Through compelling stories and practical frameworks, we discover that failing forward isn't just a clever phrase but a learnable skill that can transform our personal and professional lives.

Chapter 1: The Difference Between Average and Achieving People

Tony Gwynn stepped up to home plate in Montreal and made another out—his 5,113th in professional baseball. If a player made all those outs consecutively, he would play eight seasons without ever reaching first base! Was Tony discouraged? No. Earlier that same game, he had achieved his 3,000th hit, a milestone only twenty-one other players in baseball history had reached. Though Tony failed to get a hit two times out of three, his ability to succeed consistently one time in three made him the greatest hitter of his generation. One day when this historic achievement was expected, the author scrambled to change plane tickets to attend the game. He and his son-in-law arrived late, missing Tony's 3,000th hit. But they didn't give up and turn around—they stayed for the celebration. Later when Tony hit a foul ball into the stands, the author caught it. A few weeks later Tony signed the ball, providing a memorable souvenir from the historic game. Mary Kay Ash provides another powerful example of overcoming setbacks. After twenty-five years in direct sales, she faced rejection in the corporate world where her opinions were dismissed because she was "thinking like a woman." When she retired in frustration, she soon realized she wanted to start her own business that would give women unlimited opportunities. She invested her $5,000 life savings in her new cosmetics company, only to have her husband die of a heart attack just a month before launch. Most people would have given up, but Mary Kay persevered, launching her company on September 13, 1963. Today, Mary Kay Cosmetics generates billions in annual sales, employs thousands, and empowers half a million consultants worldwide. Despite obstacles, heartaches, and setbacks, Mary Kay failed forward. She exemplifies the fundamental difference between average people and achievers: their perception of and response to failure. While most people avoid failure or quickly label situations as failures, achievers see it within a larger context, leading to perseverance, longevity, and ultimately success. The greatest obstacle to success isn't failure itself but the way we perceive it. When you change your perspective on failure, you transform what could be a destructive force into constructive opportunities. Perhaps the most meaningful question isn't "If the possibility of failure were erased, what would you attempt?" but rather "If your perception of and response to failure were changed, what would you attempt to achieve?" The answer to this question holds the key to unlocking your potential and learning the valuable skill of failing forward.

Chapter 2: Redefining Failure and Success

Truett Cathy, founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, faced numerous setbacks that could have derailed his entrepreneurial journey. Only three years after opening his first restaurant, the Dwarf Grill (later Dwarf House), both of his brothers died in a plane crash. One was his business partner. A year after this devastating loss, Cathy paid his brother's widow for her share in the business. The following year, his second restaurant location was completely destroyed by fire—with practically no insurance coverage. Within weeks of the fire, Cathy faced another debilitating setback when doctors discovered polyps in his colon requiring surgery. One operation turned into two, and he was bedridden for several months. For an energetic businessman like Cathy, this forced inaction seemed like another failure. Yet during this time of physical restriction, something remarkable happened. His mind remained active, and he began playing with a new concept involving chicken, which had always been an important part of his restaurant's menu. Cathy wondered what would happen if he took a boneless chicken breast, seasoned and fried it just right, and placed it on a bun with the perfect condiments. This idea, born during his time of forced rest, became the now-famous Chick-fil-A Sandwich and the foundation of one of the world's largest privately owned restaurant chains. Today Chick-fil-A operates more than nine hundred restaurants and has grown into a billion-dollar company, all stemming from what initially appeared to be a series of failures. Similar transformations can be seen in the story of Sergio Zyman, the marketing executive behind New Coke. When the formula change failed spectacularly in 1985, costing Coca-Cola $100 million and resulting in Zyman leaving the company, it seemed like a career-ending disaster. Yet years later, when asked if the venture was a mistake, Zyman responded, "No, categorically." A failure? "No." He acknowledged the strategy didn't work, but "the totality of the action ended up being positive" as the return of Coca-Cola Classic ultimately strengthened the company. Roberto Goizueta, the late chairman of Coca-Cola who rehired Zyman, put it succinctly: "We get paid to produce results. We don't get paid to be right." The path to achievement inevitably leads through the land of failure. Errors become mistakes when we perceive and respond to them incorrectly. Mistakes become failures when we continually respond to them incorrectly. People who fail forward see errors or negative experiences as a regular part of life, learn from them, and then move on. They understand that success isn't a destination but a process—one that requires perseverance through inevitable setbacks. As Thomas Edison observed, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." By embracing this perspective, we gain the strength to keep running the race, transforming what might have been defeat into the foundation for our greatest achievements.

Chapter 3: Breaking Free from the Fear Cycle

Dr. Samuel P. Langley, a respected professor and director of the Smithsonian Institution, seemed destined to achieve the first manned motorized flight. With substantial government funding of $50,000, successful unmanned flight tests, and recognition as a leading scientific mind, everything pointed to his success. But when his aircraft, the Great Aerodrome, failed spectacularly during two public launch attempts in 1903, the press was brutal. The New York Times suggested that flying machines might be developed "in from one to ten million years." Devastated by criticism and demoralized by his public failures, Langley abandoned his decades-long pursuit of flight. Just days later, the Wright brothers—uneducated, unknown, and unfunded bicycle mechanics—successfully flew their plane "Flyer I" over the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk. While the Wright brothers did not rest on their success but continued experimenting and improving, Langley allowed his moment of disaster to define him. He abandoned his experiments, suffered a stroke two years later, and died the following year. Today, while schoolchildren know the Wright brothers, Langley is remembered by relatively few. This contrast illustrates how failure can grip people emotionally and trap them in what might be called the fear cycle. It begins when prior negative experiences cause someone to develop a fear of failure. That fear creates inaction, which prevents gaining personal experience—the key to learning and overcoming obstacles. The lack of experience breeds an inability to handle similar situations, which feeds and increases the fear. Left unchecked, this cycle manifests as paralysis (complete avoidance of risk), procrastination (constant delay), or purposelessness (settling for mediocrity to avoid mistakes). The longer someone remains in this cycle, the harder it becomes to break free. Additional negative side effects emerge: self-pity, excuse-making, misused energy, and eventually hopelessness. Most people try to break the cycle by focusing on eliminating the fear, but that approach rarely works. As one medical journal noted: "Motivation is not going to strike you like lightning... After you start doing the thing, that's when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep doing it." Harvard psychologist Jerome Bruner puts it this way: "You're more likely to act yourself into feeling than feel yourself into action." The key to breaking the fear cycle isn't waiting for courage or motivation—it's taking action despite the fear. Every step forward builds momentum and experience, gradually diminishing the paralysis of fear. President Theodore Roosevelt understood this when he said, "He who makes no mistakes makes no progress." Like trapeze artists who learn to fall successfully into the safety net before mastering difficult catches, we must become comfortable with the process of failing and rising again. This resilience comes only through repeated experience—acting our way into a new mindset rather than waiting for our feelings to change. By facing our fears and taking action, however small, we transform the fear cycle into a cycle of growth. Each failure teaches us something new, building competence that leads to confidence. As we learn to see mistakes as natural steps toward mastery rather than proof of inadequacy, we free ourselves to pursue ambitious goals without the paralyzing dread of imperfection. The path forward isn't avoiding failure but embracing it as a necessary teacher on the journey to success.

Chapter 4: Finding Value in Negative Experiences

Greg Horn, owner of Payless Food Center in Cynthiana, Kentucky, faced a catastrophic situation when returning from a leadership conference in 1997. After being delayed overnight due to bad weather, he arrived home to discover his grocery store under six feet of floodwater. The devastation was complete—$500,000 worth of waterlogged inventory, ruined electronic equipment, and structural damage throughout the building. His shock intensified when his insurance agent delivered crushing news: he had every type of coverage except flood insurance. When Horn finally accessed his store five days later, he faced a heart-wrenching scene. A 500-pound freezer had been lifted by floodwaters and dumped onto a checkout stand. Every item in the store was ruined, covered in mud and filth. At this pivotal moment, Horn made a crucial decision that would define his future. "I could have filed for bankruptcy," he recalls. "But I didn't want to do that. The turning point for me was when I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that I needed to make some changes in my life. It's not what happens to me; it's what happens in me." Drawing on leadership principles he had just learned at the conference, Horn assessed that while the interior was destroyed, the building remained structurally sound. He and his staff worked around the clock, removing twenty-two truckloads of ruined inventory, replacing all equipment and flooring. Though it cost him $1 million, he reopened the store in an astonishing sixteen days. The store was closed for only twenty-one days after the flood, allowing eighty employees—many personally affected by the flood—to return to work. Roger Crawford provides an even more powerful example of maintaining a positive attitude despite overwhelming adversity. Born with ectrodactylism, a condition that left him with a thumblike projection from his right forearm, a thumb and finger on his left forearm, no palms, shortened limbs, and a malformed foot that was later amputated, medical professionals told his parents he would never walk or care for himself. Yet today, Crawford is a successful consultant, author, and public speaker who previously became a certified professional tennis player. Crawford's parents raised him to be independent, never allowing self-pity or making excuses. "You're only as handicapped as you want to be," his father would tell him. As an adult, Crawford once met another man with identical physical conditions but a completely different attitude—bitter, blaming discrimination for his failures, and angry that Crawford didn't share his despair. Crawford realized that "even if some miracle were suddenly to give him a perfect body, his unhappiness and lack of success wouldn't change." These stories illustrate that failure is ultimately an inside job—and so is success. While we cannot control all external circumstances, we can control our response to them. As the Norwegians say, "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." The key is developing a positive attitude of contentment—not by suppressing emotions or maintaining the status quo, but by expecting the best in everything, remaining upbeat even when beaten down, seeing solutions in every problem, and holding onto hope when others say it's hopeless. When combined with positive action focused on solvable problems rather than unchangeable facts, this mindset transforms obstacles into opportunities for growth. As Crawford notes, "Real and lasting limitations are created in our minds, not our bodies." By keeping failure outside from getting inside, we position ourselves to transform any adversity into advantage.

Chapter 5: Learning from Mistakes Through Self-Reflection

John James Audubon, for whom the National Audubon Society was named, spent years failing in business before discovering his true calling. Born in Haiti in 1785 and educated in France, Audubon showed little academic discipline but had a passion for hunting and drawing birds. At age eighteen, he moved to America, where he began a series of business ventures—all of which ended in failure. His first attempt at selling indigo dye lost him a small fortune. He then tried retail trade with a partner named Ferdinand Rozier, but while Rozier manned the counter, Audubon preferred roaming the countryside hunting and sketching birds. The partners moved their struggling business multiple times, from Louisville to Henderson, Kentucky, and finally to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, before Audubon sold his share. Later ventures included a New Orleans import business that failed when the War of 1812 broke out, and a steam sawmill that went bankrupt in 1819. Throughout these failures, two constants remained in Audubon's life: hunting and art. By necessity rather than design, he began supporting his family by drawing portraits on commission while continuing to hunt for food. In 1820, at age thirty-five, Audubon had his "Great Idea"—to create a comprehensive collection of American birds painted life-size in their natural surroundings. After years of work and travels, he sailed to England in 1826 with his portfolio, where he finally met with great success. His masterpiece, "Birds of America," became a sensation and made him famous throughout Europe and America. The root of Audubon's problem for many years was himself—not his circumstances or partners. He was a terrible businessman who didn't belong in trade. Not until he understood and changed himself did he have a chance at success. As psychiatrist Rudolf Dreikurs observed, "We can change our whole life and the attitude of people around us simply by changing ourselves." Many people hesitate to change because they believe they should pursue a particular course even when it doesn't suit their gifts, they lack self-awareness about their strengths, or they adopt self-protective strategies like the "Deschapelles Coup"—creating conditions where they can always excuse failure. Dan Reiland, a key leader at The INJOY Group, provides a modern example of successful self-transformation. Though highly organized and purpose-driven, Reiland's early weakness was poor people skills. Shortly after starting as an intern, he walked straight past his boss (the author) and a group of people in the office lobby without acknowledging them. When confronted, Reiland replied, "Well, I have a lot of work to do." His boss responded pointedly, "Dan, you just passed your work," emphasizing that people come first for leaders. For the next year, Reiland worked diligently to improve his people skills under mentorship. Today, he has transformed this former weakness into such a strength that he's now one of the finest pastoral leaders in the country and frequently handles assignments requiring exceptional people skills. He accomplished this transformation by seeing himself clearly, honestly admitting his flaws, discovering his strengths, and building on them passionately. The journey to success requires honest self-reflection and willingness to change from within. As psychologist Sheldon Kopp noted, "All of the significant battles are waged within the self." By examining our weaknesses without denying our strengths, taking responsibility for who we are, and committing to growth in areas that need improvement, we can transform our greatest limitations into powerful assets. Our success tomorrow depends on our willingness to change ourselves today.

Chapter 6: Developing Resilience Through Persistence

R.H. Macy, founder of the famous department store, embodied the power of persistence through repeated failures. After four years working on a whaling ship as a teenager, Macy used his $500 earnings to open a small thread and needle store in Boston—which failed within a year. His second store, selling dry goods, also failed. A partnership with his brother-in-law ended after a year. Seeking opportunity elsewhere, Macy and his brother headed to California during the gold rush, opening a store in Marysville that initially succeeded until the gold ran out. Returning east, Macy opened another dry goods store in Haverhill, Massachusetts, where he introduced innovative business practices: fixed pricing instead of haggling, cash-only transactions, and heavy advertising. Despite these innovations, this business failed too. Undeterred, he opened yet another store selling goods at the lowest prices in town, but after three years of struggle, he sold out and declared bankruptcy. After briefly working as a stockbroker and real estate broker, Macy made one more attempt at retail—his seventh. In 1858, at age thirty-five, he opened a fancy dry goods store in Manhattan. This time, success followed. After just twelve months, he was grossing $80,000 annually. By the 1870s, annual sales exceeded $1 million. Macy went on to revolutionize retail, inventing the concept of the modern department store, making fixed prices the industry norm, pioneering volume buying and selling for lower prices, modernizing retail advertising, and appointing the first female executive in retail history. The quality that carried Macy through failure after failure was persistence—the little difference that makes a big difference in failing forward. To cultivate this quality, a four-point strategy proves effective. First, find your purpose—the fuel that powers persistence. Business consultant Paul Stoltz found that identifying your "mountain" or meaningful purpose is crucial for overcoming setbacks. Without purpose, even small obstacles become insurmountable. Second, eliminate excuses. As George Washington Carver noted, "Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses." Dean Rhodes exemplifies this principle—despite missing investment opportunities in Wendy's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's, and even Microsoft, he never made excuses. Instead, he focused on his own opportunities and eventually appeared on the Forbes list of the 400 most successful business owners in America. Third, develop incentives by breaking larger goals into smaller achievements with appropriate rewards. Walter Elliot wisely observed that "perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races, one after another." Finally, cultivate determination, recognizing that as Napoleon Hill stated, "Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit." Admiral Peary attempted to reach the North Pole seven times before succeeding on his eighth try. Oscar Hammerstein had five failed shows before Oklahoma ran for 269 weeks and grossed $7 million. Orville Redenbacher's journey to popcorn fame further illustrates this principle. Beginning at age twelve growing popcorn on his family's farm, he continued experimenting with popcorn hybrids throughout his education and various agricultural careers. His persistence in developing the perfect hybrid took decades, requiring him to individually pollinate tens of thousands of cornstalks annually. Though he perfected his hybrid in 1965, it took another ten years to make it the world's best-selling brand—achieving his greatest success at age sixty-seven. When asked about his philosophy, Redenbacher said, "I've followed the classic homespun principles. Never say die. Never be satisfied. Be stubborn. Be persistent. Integrity is a must. Anything worth having is worth striving for with all your might." His story reminds us that the difference between success and failure often comes down to the simple willingness to keep trying when others would quit.

Chapter 7: Creating a Growth Strategy for Future Success

Milton Bradley, the game industry pioneer, transformed his failures into stepping stones for remarkable success. After establishing himself as a draftsman by age twenty, he purchased a printing press four years later to start a lithography business. His first product—a lithograph of newly elected President Abraham Lincoln—initially sold well until Lincoln grew a beard, rendering Bradley's clean-shaven image obsolete and nearly ruining him financially. During this setback, Bradley created the Checkered Game of Life, America's first parlor game, which taught moral values. It became an instant hit, selling forty thousand handmade copies that first year. This success gave Bradley a new direction—producing games and educational materials. When he learned about the kindergarten concept from Germany, he became passionate about creating educational materials for young children, despite opposition from his business associates during an economic downturn. "It took all the faith I could muster," Bradley said, "all the belief in the final triumph of kindergarten principles to pull me through those early years of discouragement." His persistence paid off as he became kindergarten's chief proponent, producing materials that impacted thousands of children. To create your own strategy for moving forward after failure, consider the FORWARD framework: First, Finalize Your Goal. Clarity about what you're trying to achieve shapes everything that follows. As George Matthew Adams noted, "If we look long enough for what we want in life we are almost sure to find it." Second, Order Your Plans. Benjamin Franklin's wisdom remains true: "By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail." Third, Risk Failing by Taking Action. Conrad Hilton observed that "success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving." Fourth, Welcome Mistakes as signals of progress into new territory. Fifth, Advance Based on Your Character. NBA coach Pat Riley explained, "There comes a moment that defines winning from losing. The true warrior understands and seizes the moment by giving an effort so intensive and so intuitive that it could be called one from the heart." Sixth, Reevaluate Your Progress Continually, turning mistakes into learning opportunities. Finally, Develop New Strategies to Succeed, recognizing that adaptation is essential in a competitive world. Singapore's remarkable transformation illustrates this framework in action. After gaining independence in 1959, the country struggled and briefly merged with Malaysia before being cast adrift in 1965. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, facing a nation with no natural resources and rampant racial prejudice, developed a comprehensive plan: bring in industry to employ low-skilled workers, create public housing, establish affordable education, build a world-class banking system, and encourage international travel. Despite initial skepticism from UN advisors who witnessed "riots every other day," Singapore persevered, bringing in experts from around the world and attracting international companies. Tour guide Susanna Foo, who experienced this transformation personally, fought back tears while describing how she and her country went from struggling and uneducated to prosperous and accomplished. From a swampy backwater, Singapore became a global financial center with one of the world's highest per capita incomes. Now the country focuses on giving back, helping developing nations worldwide. As Susanna explained, "Because we understand how great the need is, we are willing to go wherever the UN asks us to go." Like Singapore, your journey requires getting up when knocked down, working according to a plan, and persisting through difficulties. By embracing this strategy and learning from each setback, you transform obstacles into opportunities, creating a path toward achieving your goals and ultimately your dreams. Remember: it's not about avoiding failure but learning to fail forward.

Summary

Failing forward is not merely about enduring failure—it's about transforming it into a catalyst for growth. Throughout the stories we've explored, from Tony Gwynn's baseball career to Dave Anderson's entrepreneurial journey, a common thread emerges: achievement comes not from avoiding failure but from embracing it as a necessary teacher. As Dave Anderson, who overcame multiple business failures before founding Famous Dave's restaurant chain, wisely observed: "To succeed, you have to be open to problems. You have to be open to failure. And as you go up the ladder, you gain the right to get more problems. The higher you go, the bigger the problems. But the most effective people have gone through the toughest times." The journey to success requires specific mindset shifts and practical strategies. First, redefine failure as a temporary event, not a permanent identity. Second, take responsibility for your response to setbacks rather than blaming circumstances or others. Third, develop resilience by finding purpose in your pursuits and eliminating excuses that keep you stuck. Finally, create forward momentum through continuous learning and adaptation, turning each mistake into a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block. The difference between those who achieve greatness and those who remain average isn't talent, education, or luck—it's their willingness to persevere through setbacks with a growth mindset. As you face your own challenges and apparent failures, remember that the path to achievement is rarely a straight line. Every setback contains valuable lessons if you're willing to extract them. Every mistake provides an opportunity to refine your approach. And every seeming dead end offers a chance to discover new paths forward. The next time you experience failure, instead of asking "Why me?" ask "What can I learn from this?" Instead of seeing an ending, look for a beginning. By cultivating this perspective, you position yourself to transform today's disappointments into tomorrow's breakthroughs, creating a life of continuous growth and meaningful achievement.

About Author

Loading...

John C. Maxwell

Read more

Related Books by John C. Maxwell

Loading...

How Successful People Think

John C. Maxwell

Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

★★★★☆4.3

Loading...

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

John C. Maxwell

Follow Them and People Will Follow You

★★★★☆4.4

Loading...

The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication

John C. Maxwell

Apply Them and Make the Most of Your Message

★★★★☆4.4

Loading...

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

John C. Maxwell

Live Them and Reach Your Potential

★★★★½4.6

Loading...

Be the Unicorn

John C. Maxwell

12 Data-Driven Habits That Separate the Best Leaders from the Rest

★★★½☆3.7

Loading...

5 Levels of Leadership

John C. Maxwell

Proven Steps to Maximize your Potential

★★★★☆4.3

Loading...

Leadershift

John C. Maxwell

The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace

★★★★☆4.3

Loading...

Leadership 101

John C. Maxwell

What Every Leader Needs to Know

★★★★☆4.1

Loading...

Developing the Leader Within You

John C. Maxwell

Discover the Biblical Foundations for Leadership

★★★★☆4.2