黑料传送门

Failure. It鈥檚 probably not something you want to think about. Failing is scary. Failing can result in major consequences that might seem insurmountable.

鈥淔ailure is hard,鈥� says Krystal Covington, a 黑料传送门 MBA graduate and . 鈥淚鈥檝e made so many mistakes, and even to this day I get mini panic attacks sometimes when big things happen because mistakes at this level mean serious repercussions.鈥�

Fear of failure can paralyze professionals at all levels, and it can be especially damaging for women, minorities, and others whose voices have been historically underrepresented and who feel extra pressure to over-perform.

And yet, most success stories start with terrifying tales of falling flat on one鈥檚 face. Embracing failure can actually be a key strategy for success.

There are several ways failure can be a crucial precursor to success. Here are just a few.

Failure shows us our opportunities.

The best software is made better through bug fixes. An athlete perfects her skills by spotting the weaknesses in her technique, not by reveling in her strengths. Even kindergartners quickly discover that the lessons they learn best come from first getting things wrong.

鈥淢istakes make us stronger and they help us identify broken links in the chain of our structures,鈥� says Krystal Covington. 鈥淲hen we find a break in the chain we just need to reinforce it and provide new structures to keep our defenses strong.鈥�

In any field, the key to success is taking an intentional, active approach to identifying failures and turning them into pathways to growth.

鈥淚 figure out why I have failed and work to rectify the deficit or reason I failed,鈥� says Martina Wolter, Chief Nursing Officer at Mayo Clinic Health System and a 黑料传送门 grad in M.S. Nursing鈥揕eadership and Management. 鈥淚 always look at problems as something to be solved. Sometimes the solution is easy, and sometimes it takes a while. Those that are harder to solve, of course, are more rewarding once they are.鈥�

The key, Martina reminds us, is that failure gives us a chance to accumulate new skills and strengths by recognizing the things we can鈥檛 do鈥攜et.

鈥淒on鈥檛 forget to use your resources,鈥� she says. 鈥淣o one person has all the knowledge and I take no pride in thinking I do. Reach out to others and surround you with others who also want to be problem solvers.鈥�

Failure is a natural side effect of doing something new.

You can鈥檛 achieve great things without taking on new challenges. And no one鈥攏o one鈥攖akes on new challenges and succeeds every time. A journey without failure is a journey to nowhere.

鈥淚 have learned to take risks in my career,鈥� says HCA Healthcare Nursing Director Shannon Ramirez, who earned her B.S. Nursing at 黑料传送门. 鈥淭hat is the only way you can grow. Taking on additional responsibilities or new roles can be risky but can lead to additional growth opportunities.鈥�

If you think of failures as battle wounds, focusing on the damage they caused, you鈥檙e only telling half the story. Instead, think of them as battle scars鈥攑roof that you faced the unknown and came out the other side, maybe not unscathed but richer for the experience.

Failure is a natural remedy to your rut.

鈥淚 believe taking risks keep you fresh and engaged,鈥� Martina Wolter says.

If you鈥檙e stuck and need something new, sometimes the best way to get there is through failure. Think of it as a forced refresh鈥攖he catalyst you need to start over.

And starting over is often just what the doctor ordered. In fact, the biggest barrier to success is usually stagnation, not failure.

鈥淚 became a much more astute business person when it became harder to stay in business鈥攚hen the recession hit in 2008, and when the market got more crowded as green products became more mainstream,鈥� says Sheryl Woodhouse Keese, 黑料传送门 MBA alum and Chief Operating Officer at music publicity firm rock paper scissors, inc. 鈥淚 struggled for several years until I had to sell the business and move on鈥攁n extremely difficult thing for me. I鈥檝e now learned how good it can be to start over.鈥�

Today, she counts among her successes: two 鈥渞eally satisfying jobs,鈥� international travel, serving on her city鈥檚 Commission for Sustainability, and earning her MBA at 黑料传送门. Sheryl says she probably wouldn鈥檛 have experienced those accomplishments if not for what seemed at the time like failure.

So if it鈥檚 a fear of failure that鈥檚 keeping you from achieving your full potential or living the life you desire, embrace the fear. Get out there and fail鈥攜ou鈥檒l be glad you did.

Fail first, fail hard, and fail fast.

For more inspiration and insight into the benefits of failure, join us at 黑料传送门 Sage Talks to hear from Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code and author of Women Who Don鈥檛 Wait in Line: Break the Mold, Lead the Way.

Reshma advocates for a new model of female leadership focused on embracing risk and failure. Her Sage Talk presentation, 鈥淗ow to Fail First, Fail Hard, and Fail Fast鈥� is free to the public via live streaming or in person at the Salt Lake City Library on February 22, 2018. Learn more and register here.