Right now, someone somewhere, in a meeting room or on Zoom, is uttering these success-killing words: “We tried it before, and it didn’t work.” Or, in a similar squash-down, “Oh, others have tried that ...

In most cultures, failure is frowned upon. We often blame others for what goes wrong, rather than reflect on the reasons for falling short and what we can take from the experience moving forward. Our ...

The Fast Company Executive Board is a private, fee-based network of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. AI stands apart from ...

Contrary to the widespread belief that people learn from their mistakes, new science suggests that failure is not always the best teacher. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and Clark ...

While discussing inventions, Thomas Edison’s associate, Walter S. Mallory, once said to him, “Isn’t it a shame that with the tremendous amount of work you have done, you haven’t been able to get any ...

Imagine you are watching a movie, a delightfully engaging and entertaining film. Now imagine that the person sitting next to you is an acclaimed director, an expert at making movies. Will you see the ...

Failure doesn’t get easier with time. Even after nearly two decades of leading teams, navigating challenges and building lasting partnerships, the sting of falling short still hits hard, especially ...

Leaders think they drive accountability. Their teams disagree. The gap reveals how explanation replaces investigation—and why failures keep repeating. Your team ...