Loving Failure:The Key to True Growth

Loving Failure:

The Key to True Growth

Loving Failure: The Key to True Growth

“Every obstacle is a pathway to wisdom”

Epictetus

We tend to think of failure as something to avoid. A sign that we’ve gone off track, made the wrong move, or weren’t good enough.

But what if failure is actually proof that we’re moving in the right direction?

When I was running global fashion and design brands, we had a simple rule: if more than 70% of our designs were successful, we were playing it too safe.

If everything works, it means you're not pushing boundaries. You’re not innovating. You’re not growing. You’re under potentialising.

The same applies to life. Staying in our comfort zones—doing what’s worked before, playing within the rules of "success"—can feel safe. But it’s a slow road to stagnation.

Take Nokia. They were the dominant force in mobile phones, with a range of products that seemingly catered to every need. Meanwhile, Apple entered the market with just one phone—and changed the world.

The CEO of Nokia, in a moment of reflection, famously said, "We did nothing wrong."

And yet, that was precisely the problem. They weren’t failing. They weren’t trying new things. They weren’t stretching beyond what they knew worked.

If you’re not failing, you’re not growing.

The key is orientation and forward motion. Dream big and take simple, compassionate steps in the right direction.

Then park that thought and focus on the now and not the goal. Be open to failure in the knowledge that without it you're unlikely to learn and grow. 

Failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s the path to it. It’s a sign that you’re stretching into something new, pushing your edges, and learning in real time.

So, how can you love failure?

🔹 Redefine it – Failure isn’t an ending, it’s data. It’s learning. It’s iteration. It’s opportunity!
🔹 Fail fast, fail forward – The quicker you get comfortable with failure, the faster you grow.
🔹 Detach from the outcome – Success isn’t in avoiding failure, it’s in how quickly you adapt.

If you’re feeling like everything is "working" right now, ask yourself: am I really growing? Or am I just staying where it’s comfortable?

Maybe it’s time to fail a little more.

Reading recommendation📚

📚 The Wright Brothers by David McCullough – A fascinating look at two men who failed hundreds of times before inventing modern aviation.

Watching recommendation 📺

🎥 Jiro Dreams of Sushi (Netflix) – A documentary about mastery, precision, and a relentless pursuit of improvement—embracing mistakes along the way.

Listening Recommendation 🎧

🎧 The Knowledge Project (Shane Parrish) – Conversations with top thinkers, including many who built success through failure.

Failure is the price of growth. The real risk isn’t in failing—it’s in never trying hard enough to fail in the first place.

Where are you playing it too safe?

Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear your thoughts.

As always, feel free to reach out anytime for more tips or even a chat, and check my blog for any newsletters you may have missed.

And if you have any recommendations or topics you’d like covered, I’d love to hear from you.