If you’ve been leading long enough, at some point you’ve failed. And if you haven’t, you’re probably playing it too safe.

I’ve learned over the years that failure isn’t a verdict — it’s feedback. The problem is most people fear it so much they stop moving forward. The truth is, failing forward is one of the most powerful ways to grow — in life, in leadership, and in your mindset.

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Why perfection kills progress

Perfection looks like excellence on the surface, but underneath it’s fueled by fear.
When we chase perfect, we avoid risk — and when we avoid risk, we avoid growth. Progress happens through movement, not mastery. You can’t refine what you never release.

I tell my teams often, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If we never stretch beyond what’s comfortable, we’ll never reach what’s possible.. The goal isn’t, never to stumble — it’s to stumble in the right direction when we do, so we can improve each time.

The truth about leadership and failure

Early in my leadership journey, I thought credibility as a leader depended on not making mistakes. But I eventually learned something far more powerful — credibility doesn’t come from being flawless; it comes from taking accountability.

When you own your mistakes, your team learns it’s safe to do the same. That’s how you build a culture of trust instead of fear, which leads to growth.

People don’t need perfect leaders. They need leaders who are willing to learn publicly — who show that setbacks are just setups for what’s next.

How to create a fail-forward culture

Failing forward isn’t about lowering standards — it’s about forgiving mistakes when they occur.
When your team knows they won’t be punished for honest mistakes, they’ll start taking smarter risks. That’s where creativity lives. That’s where innovation happens.

When something goes wrong, don’t rush to assign blame. Instead, create what I call the Accountability Loop: Own it → Fix it → Learn from it.

When people know they can recover with integrity, they take more ownership — not less.

What failing forward looks like personally

This isn’t just about business. It’s about mindset.

Many times in my career, I've grown from things that didn’t go as planned. I’ve had moments where I missed the mark, moments where I questioned if I had missed it somewhere — but every single one of those moments became fuel for growth.

The key is learning to fail forward internally before you can lead others through it.
When you can look at your own mistakes through the lens of learning instead of shame, you unlock freedom. You stop performing and start progressing.

Faith and failure

Here’s the thing — I’ve seen God use my failures to grow me, almost more than anything else. But only after I surrendered those failures to Him, and admitted I needed His help.

Romans 8:28 tells us that “all things work together for good for those who love God, and are called according to HIs purpose.” That includes your mistakes. God doesn’t waste failure. He uses it to shape wisdom, humility, and resilience.

Failing forward isn’t about falling — it’s about trusting that every fall is forming something greater inside of you.

💥 Leadership Truth Bombs

• “Perfection is just fear dressed up in excellence’s clothing.”

• “Failure isn’t final unless you stop learning from it.”

• “Teams don’t need perfect leaders — they need honest ones.”

• “Progress beats perfection every single time.”

• “God can’t multiply what you’re too afraid to release.”

• “If you never stretch beyond what’s comfortable, you’ll never reach what’s possible.”

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