Don’t Waste A Failure

Shortly after winning the College Football National Championship, Alabama Football Head Coach, Nick Saban, reflected on the season that had just concluded. And his reflection brought him back to the end of the previous year’s Championship game. A contest in which Nick Saban and Alabama lost to Clemson on the final play of the game. Standing there on the podium in front of reporters Saban was asked how last year’s championship loss impacted his approach to this year.

“I don’t want to waste a failure,” Saban said.

Coach Saban was heard saying that line before. It was his guiding principle throughout the season coming off such an agonizing defeat. He was quoted as saying “I think when you lose, the mindset is much more, ‘I’m willing to change. I want to learn. I don’t want to waste a failure.”

This approach to failure is hard. It goes against what we want, which is to avoid failure. Most of us would be glad to ‘waste a failure’ if it meant we never had to look at it ever again. The postmortem review of a failure can be embarrassing, difficult and painful. But it can also provide the key to experiencing tremendous growth and success.

Here are a few questions that will help guide honest reflection and facilitate growth from a failure:

• What am I responsible for that led to this outcome? (Because in many failures you are not entirely responsible for the outcome. But focus on what you are responsible for).
• Is there anything I need to do to make this failure right again? (Some failings require us to seek reconciliation before moving forward. Own what is yours to own and seek to make it right).
• What can I learn from this failure? (And don’t be afraid to ask a trusted person for help with this.)
• How will I apply this lesson and how will I be accountable for follow through? (Application of new behaviors and accountability for improvement are the key ingredients to not repeating the past).

If you can allow yourself a few moments of honest reflection I bet you will see that your most meaningful and significant seasons of growth came out of incidents of failure. Failure, as painful as it can be, is not something to run from and ignore. Failure is to be reflected on, carefully considered for opportunities of growth, and above all else, never to be wasted.