September 7, 1940, was the first night of 57 consecutive nights the Nazis bombed London. 57 nights in a row, the air raid sirens went off and destruction reigned down on London. Many assumed that England would surrender under that unimaginable pressure. And it is under those circumstances that Winston Churchill said, ‘Failure is not fatal…’ I agree with the prime minister’s sentiments. However, I also believe we can introduce ourselves to fatal failures if we are not careful. This is not succumbing to external pressures, rather it is the result of flawed internal mindsets. These flawed mindsets don’t lead us anywhere, and they leave us nowhere.
Here are 5 flawed mindsets that may lead to a fatal failure.
CHOOSING THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE is a fatal failure. Instead, we should be seeking out what is best practice and submitting ourselves to it. Best practice is often challenging, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. This is why it is often ‘least practiced.’
OBLIVIOUSLY TRYING TO PROVE YOUR OWN GENIUS is a fatal failure. It is the Information Age, which means anyone has access to any information. It also means that no one holds a monopoly on information. The historic quote, ‘Every person is my teacher because every person knows something I do not.’, is more true than ever. Listen for the genius that is all around you and take note of it. Literally, make a habit of writing down the genius you are hearing from the people all around you.
AVOIDING SITUATIONS WHERE YOU KNOW VERY LITTLE is a fatal failure. Have you ever sensed yourself dodging opportunities to learn and grow because ‘I don’t know anything about that?’ If one of these opportunities comes your way, jump into it! Stoke the fires of your curiosity by admitting you know very little, asking great questions, and taking notes on the answers.
NEVER REFLECTING ON WHEN YOU WERE WRONG is a fatal failure. Ryan Hawk, the author of ‘The Pursuit of Excellence’, encourages leaders to ask themselves, ‘When was the last time I was wrong’, and to ask themselves often. If you are moving towards growth, there will be regular growing pains which often display themselves as being wrong. Being wrong is not fatal, but never thinking about when you were wrong could be.
SEEKING CREDIT RATHER THAN GIVING CREDIT is a fatal failure. It has been often quoted that, ‘a candle does not lose its own light by lighting another candle.’ A leader who is pursuing their own growth hunts opportunities to celebrate others’ contributions along the way. Your path towards growth should be littered with celebrations of others. Does your path have evidence of growth or of fatal failure?
I hope the following Maya Angelo quote encourages you to shun these 5 flawed mindsets and continue to bite down and not let go of your progress and growth.
‘Do as best you can until you know better. And when you know better, do better.’
Keep on, keepin’ on, friends!
Bite Down and Don’t Let Go is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here.
Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart and they have three teenage children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for inspirational thoughts and good laughs.
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