Be More Wrong: How to Grow From Failure

As a leader, how should you encourage your team to take risks and make the most of mistakes and failure?

In this Asking For a Friend episode, Karin welcomes Colin Hunter, author of Be More Wrong, to discuss the journey of failure and growth.

How to Grow From Failure (Highlights)

Source of Strength

1:19 Colin shares about his father’s passing and how celebrating his life was actually a source of strength for him, and refers to the experience of failure that has helped reshape his life. He is inspired to “use my screw-ups to help others.”

On Being More Wrong

3:38 What should we be more wrong about?
It’s very personal.
Use your failure to “fail forward” toward a purpose or philosophy.
Hold onto your True North.

Practical Approaches For Failing Forward

4:32 How do you fail forward?
Becoming “anti-fragile” and more resilient
Experimenting with new practices (i.e. with exercise, meditation, gratitude)
Suggesting employees write a letter about their accomplishments each year, and what they found difficult, and what stretched them

7:55 How do you encourage risk-taking while also being firm about where mistakes can’t happen?
Invite clients into your failures and your “learn fast” experiences.
Give clients permission to be “refreshingly direct.”
Let your participants know you are trying something new. It becomes a shared experience.
Provide assurance that the level of risk you are taking is appropriate for the situation.
Pilot programs before committing long term.

10:50 As a leader, how do you “be more wrong” when your manager responds poorly to you having a failure or making mistakes?
Take responsibility for your own role – do you own it or rent it?
Have systems in place to be effective
Involve your manager in the decision-making and being an advisor
Invite them to be a mentor/coach for you.

Staying Resilient

13:13 How do you stay resilient and nimble when you discover you were right in the beginning but it evolved to be wrong?
Have a network that grounds you.
Take responsibility.
Be aware of complacency.
Keep systems working well so a failure doesn’t tank your whole business.

15:45 What are some very practical tips for managers?
Get buy-in for the overall journey.
Get them to report back on what they are hearing and seeing.
Live your life with your team in a series of experiments.
Rotate who leads meetings.
Use the language of “experimenting.”
Utilize feedback loops. Get people in the right roles and encourage them to experiment. Feedback consists of “I like” “I wish” and “I wonder.”
Remember to celebrate, especially the small wins.
Make your client the hero.

Mindset and Moodset

19:26 What is the difference between mindset and mood-set?
What mood are you setting with your team?
Mindset is about experimenting, but mood-set provides confidence and conviction.
Be agile with your attitude to keep the connections strong.

20:57 What do you do with ideas that don’t work and mistakes that are made?
Create playgrounds for practice and role-plays.
Work on your networks consistently, not just when you are looking for a job.
Play with different platforms

Final Advice on Failing Forward and Being More Wrong

26:32 Addition bits of wisdom.
Being more wrong is a journey.
Life is a series of small experiments.
Leave your ego and expertise at the door.
Collaboration, compassion, listening, coaching.