Ownership: Embracing Failure for Future Success
Respect • Ownership • Connection • Kindness
By Lee Havenga | February 6, 2025
Embracing failure gives you the power to take Ownership and turn mistakes into valuable lessons for success. Ownership is built on the three A’s: Awareness, Acceptance, and Action. Awareness helps you recognize mistakes, and Action drives change—but Acceptance is the key that connects the two. It allows you to acknowledge setbacks without judgment and see them as opportunities to learn and grow. Instead of letting mistakes hold you back, use them as stepping stones toward improvement.
The Growth Mindset Reflection technique helps turn setbacks into learning experiences, building resilience and forward momentum. As Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, emphasizes, reflection and feedback are essential for developing a growth mindset.
APPLY IT IN 10 MINUTES
- Recall a recent mistake or failure
Think back to a specific moment when you faced a challenge or setback. Choose an event that had a meaningful impact on you.
- Write down what happened, without judgment
Describe the situation objectively, avoiding self-blame or negativity. Focus on the facts rather than emotions.
- Reflect on what you learned
Consider what insights this experience has provided. Ask yourself how this mistake can contribute to your growth and what lessons you can apply moving forward.
- Commit to improvement
Decide on a specific action or mindset shift that will help you avoid repeating the mistake. Use this newfound knowledge as a tool for progress.
DEEPEN THE IMPACT of EMBRACING FAILURE
When reflecting on mistakes, shift your perspective from self-criticism to curiosity.
Ask yourself: “What did this experience teach me about my approach, mindset, or assumptions?”
By reframing failure as feedback, you’ll build resilience and the confidence to take Ownership of future challenges.
MORE RESOURCES for EMBRACING FAILURE
For more perspective on accepting failure to fuel success, check out the Harvard Business Review article on ‘Strategies for Learning from Failure’
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