10 insights on putting failure to work — john danner and mark coopersmith

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THE OTHER“F”

WORD

This presentation consists of highlights from the interview with Moe Abdou,

founder & host of 33voices®.

The Other “F” Word shows how successful leaders and teams are putting failure to work every day - to re-engage employees,

spark innovation and accelerate growth. Authors Danner and Coopersmith - with their rare blend of senior-level executive

experience, global advising, teaching acumen and cross-discipline perspective - share these valuable new practices, and

show how they can improve results across your organization.

John Danner & Mark Coopersmith

@MarkCoopersmith

Co-Authors of The Other “F” Word

Failure is gravity. Put it to work to help you accelerate innovation, intensify employee

engagement, and drive growth.

Insight #1

Insight #2

Success isn’t the opposite of failure, it’s a sibling. The two coexist, albeit uneasily

much of the time, but necessarily.

Insight #3

“When my team faces a seemingly insurmountable mountain, I often tell them to

look backwards - to see how far we’ve already come. This helps bring perspective that mountains seem tall when they’re close,

but small when they’re far away.”- Franklin Chang Diaz on measuring backwards

Insight #4

Fear of failure is a force multiplier; conquer it by following this seven-step value cycle:

Insight #4

Fear of failure is a force multiplier; conquer it by following this seven-step value cycle:

Respect: Acknowledge the gravity of failure - be a straight talker.

Insight #4

Fear of failure is a force multiplier; conquer it by following this seven-step value cycle:

Rehearse: It’s not just about fire drills - be a tenacious coach

Insight #4

Fear of failure is a force multiplier; conquer it by following this seven-step value cycle:

Recognize: Pick up the signals of failure as early as possible - be a watchful monitor

Insight #4

Fear of failure is a force multiplier; conquer it by following this seven-step value cycle:

React: Deal with it, don’t delay - be the team captain

Insight #4

Fear of failure is a force multiplier; conquer it by following this seven-step value cycle:

Reflect: Turn failure from a regret to a resource - be an inquisitive student

Insight #4

Fear of failure is a force multiplier; conquer it by following this seven-step value cycle:

Rebound: Retake the initiative - be the field general

Insight #4

Fear of failure is a force multiplier; conquer it by following this seven-step value cycle:

Remember: Embed failure savvy in your culture - be a proud storyteller

Insight #5

Sometimes serendipity trumps strategy. Your most valuable resource may be time —

time to try the next iteration, time to tweak the feature of a product, time for the team to properly reflect on what it’s learning from the marketplace, and time for serendipity.

Insight #6

‘Failure is not an option’ is simply a slogan; it ignores the reality in most

circumstances. If you want your organization to grow, become more innovation, and elicit

the best from your employees, then failure is likely to be your key driver.

Insight #7

“We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth. It assures the progressive narrowing of the personality

and prevents exploration and experimentation. There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you

must keep on risking failure all your life.”- John Gardner on failure

Insight #8

Failure will linger in your memory. What you experience will fade in the short

term, but your memory of it could last forever. “We actually don’t choose between

experiences, we choose between memories of experiences .... We think of our future

as anticipated memories.”

Insight #9

“Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”

- Elon Musk on failure

Insight #10

Fear doesn’t play favorites. It’s truly a democratic phenomenon, so get over it,

and help our colleagues do the same.

Reflect: What would you do if you knew that your only path to

success was to fail first?

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Presentation created by Chase Jennings

Insights by Moe Abdou