I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.
- Thomas Edison
Being innovative doesn’t mean coming up with lots of great ideas. It means failing – over and over again – until you find a great idea that actually works.
That’s not to say that failure always leads to innovation. But innovation can’t happen if you’re not ok with failing – a lot.
If you want to create an innovative workforce, create a culture that celebrates failure as often as it celebrates success. Brilliant failure is the key to innovation.
Hey Chris,
I’m a sports nut so I always remember it in terms of baseball or softball.
Babe Ruth- one of the greatest Baseball players in history, hit over 700 home runs in his playing careers and had an average of .342 (still in the top ten averages in baseball history).
This means that he failed roughly 7 times out of ten. He also struck out over 1,330 times!
Check out this great site to learn about some more amazing people who also failed several times before making it http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/efficacynotgiveup.html
Put’s things into perspective doesn’t it?
@Jess – great link! Failure is not just the key to innovation, but apparently the key to greatness. (Well, not just failure – failure and persistence). Thanks for the comment!