Great Leaders Fail Forward and Empower Others to Do the Same
- Nat Crawford
- May 12
- 2 min read
Failure is inevitable—but great leaders don’t fear it. They embrace it, learn from it, and encourage others to do the same. The best leaders know that success isn’t about avoiding failure; it’s about using failure as a stepping stone to growth. Whether in business, sports, or innovation, those who “fail forward” are the ones who ultimately achieve the greatest success.
What It Means to Fail Forward
Failing forward means using setbacks as learning opportunities rather than roadblocks. Instead of letting failure define them, great leaders analyze what went wrong, adjust their strategies, and keep moving forward. More importantly, they create cultures where their teams feel safe to take risks and grow from their mistakes.
The Queasy Eagle: A Culture That Embraces Learning
At the Mayo Clinic, the “Queasy Eagle” award was created to celebrate unsuccessful but valuable ideas. The award recognizes teams that took risks, tried something new, and learned from their failed attempts. One such case involved a team working on a process improvement project. Though their idea ultimately didn’t work, the lessons learned helped the organization refine its methods for future success. By acknowledging and honoring failure, Mayo Clinic encourages a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. (Read more)
The Golden Banana: Rewarding Persistence and Creativity
Similarly, at Hewlett-Packard (HP), the “Golden Banana” became a legendary recognition of perseverance. The story goes that an HP engineer, while working on a particularly challenging project, came up with an innovative solution after multiple failures. His manager, having no official award on hand, grabbed a banana from his lunch and handed it to the engineer as a token of appreciation. This simple gesture became a symbol at HP for celebrating persistence, problem-solving, and creative breakthroughs. (Read more)
Other Real-World Examples of Failing Forward
Michael Jordan – The basketball legend was cut from his high school team, but instead of quitting, he used the setback as motivation to work harder, eventually becoming one of the greatest athletes of all time.
J.K. Rowling – Before Harry Potter became a worldwide phenomenon, Rowling faced multiple rejections from publishers. She didn’t give up—and her perseverance led to one of the best-selling book series in history.
Elon Musk – Tesla and SpaceX both experienced significant early failures, including multiple rocket explosions. Musk’s philosophy of learning from failure and refining his approach has propelled both companies to incredible success.
How Great Leaders Foster a Fail-Forward Culture
Encourage Experimentation – Innovation requires trial and error. Leaders must create an environment where team members feel safe to test ideas without fear of punishment.
Acknowledge and Learn from Mistakes – Instead of hiding failures, great leaders analyze them openly and use them as teaching moments.
Reward Resilience and Problem-Solving – Recognizing persistence and creative problem-solving helps reinforce the idea that failure is part of progress.
Great leaders don’t just learn from failure—they turn it into a tool for growth. By embracing a “fail forward” mindset and creating a culture that rewards learning, they drive innovation, resilience, and long-term success. Whether through awards like the Queasy Eagle or the Golden Banana, the best organizations understand that failure isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of something better.
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