Tolerance For Failure ‒ Turn Challenges Into Opportunities
- Brainz Magazine
- Feb 28, 2023
- 4 min read
Written by: Emi Olausson Fourounjieva, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Many of us are dreaming about the next success story, the well deserved growth and new achievements. Ah, that beautiful mesmerizing vision ‒ it is pulling us toward our North Star, waking us up at night, pushing us forward through challenges and obstacles!
Sometimes it is like a spellbound ‒ the world is transforming, we are changing along the way, but that vision just devores us, turning into an idée fixe ‒ teasing our fantasy and requiring more and more of sacrifice along the way.
Today I had a conversation with a brilliant high-achiever, an Alpha fighter, who is always on the way to the next success. Sad story, the pressure of an unexpected outcome became too hard and caused some heavy negative impact, requiring a time out. Rare case? Not at all, far from being so…
This is not a unique case, it’s a potential danger for us, perfectionists, high-achievers, humans with high responsibility levels, high requirements, ambitions and expectations of certain outcomes and results. Hitting the unexpected can challenge and disrupt us, while we are moving forward through the times of lack of clarity, declining economy, shifting behaviors, tremendous challenges on the job market and so on.
It is often the result of that “I have to, I need to, I must” ‒ while instead, it is crucial to refocus and succeed balancing on the edge without falling, embracing the failure as a valuable lesson and a fantastic chance to proceed in the right direction in a more powerful way, without overload.
Taking one step at a time ‒ getting a broader perspective, reevaluating, calling in as much support as possible, rerouting, replanning, regathering the forces.
Brace for impact.
Unexpected events can crash our world, but what about the role of failure in these stories? A failure can happen in different areas of our life and be private or business related, it can be closely tied to who we are as individuals or remain less personal. Sometimes it impacts us at the root, through all the protection layers, stopping us from moving forward in the way we were planning and expecting to, if not addressed correctly.
It might take some time, to slow down, to step aside for a while, to get some clarity and strength and be back on track to continue the journey in the chosen direction.
Can a failure actually be a powerful enabler of personal and business growth and successful transformation?
My answer is YES, absolutely!
Failure is often viewed as a negative experience, but in my opinion it is an enabler. Here are a few reasons why:
Failure teaches valuable lessons. When something fails, it's an opportunity to learn from mistakes and make changes for the better. Entrepreneurs and business Leaders who are able to learn from failure are more likely to succeed in the long run.
Failure allows for experimentation. If on, is always afraid of failure, it may be less likely to take risks and try new things. However, experimentation and the opportunity to try out new ideas and strategies are crucial for success.
Failure can lead to innovation. When something fails, it often leads to a revision of the original concept and development of new ideas and approaches. This can lead to breakthroughs and innovative solutions that would not have been discovered otherwise.
Failure builds resilience. Experiencing failure and bouncing back from it can build resilience and determination. This can be especially valuable for entrepreneurs and business leaders who face many challenges and obstacles in their careers.
Failure is a natural part of the growth process. Personal and business growth and transformation often involve taking risks and experimenting with new ideas, which can lead to failure. Failure should not be viewed as a setback, but rather as a natural part of the growth and development process.
Failure is not the end, it is just the beginning, a part of a learning curve. Embracing failure, learning from it and moving forward help us grow and transform in ways that would not have been possible without it.
It is very important to stay in control, so that one failure doesn’t lead to the next one, building up a chain of negative outcomes. Analyzing and optimizing the process, adjusting it along the way and reacting to the events accordingly can help turn failure to your advantage, fueling your future success.
Be brave, have courage and resilience to move forward in a strong and powerful way ‒ there is no expansion without deep understanding and tolerance for failure.
Would you like to get my help to turn your Challenges into Opportunities ‒ my robust personalized support with a high Return on Time Invested? Book a free discovery call with me ‒ let’s have a conversation!
Emi Olausson Fourounjieva, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Emi Olausson Fourounjieva is a Transformational Coach, Digital Transformation Leader with extensive experience in Digital Analytics and Marketing, Visionaire, Educator and Global Speaker, Advisor on the Advisory Board of two global professional networks. Her strength is to create synergy effects using resources and technologies to get optimal business results in a data-driven, customer-centric way.
Emi's initiative "Digital Transformation for Humans" reflects her passion for the intersection of Technology, Business and Human Factors. Her professional experience has led her to the conclusion that Digital Transformation must be boosted not only by the power of data, research, algorithms and technologies but also by human intuition, creativity and adaptability, in order to obtain harmonious and sustainable development.
Through her coaching, Emi empowers Leaders to combine their Intelligence and Competence with Soft Skills, helping them become more confident and self-aware, feel positive, have more impact, and achieve goals with ease and joy.
Emi sees Mindset as a critical part of any successful Leader's toolbox, which is why she has developed her signature coaching program, "The Winning Mindset for Leaders in Digital".
