Failure-Tolerant Leadership Makes Good Business Sense

A failure-tolerant leader is one who not only allows, but even encourages subordinates to fail. At first glance, this idea might seem almost absurd, but there is method to this madness. The failure-tolerant leader knows that, in the world of business, calculated risk-taking is an indispensable component of success. He also knows that, where there is risk, there is an equal potential for failure. He is, however, just as convinced that, often as not, ultimate success is forged through the inspired reworking of the remnants of failure.

Failure-tolerant leaders attempt to redefine failure for their teams, allowing them to see, perhaps for the very first time, that not only is failure usually not fatal, but when not looked upon as the end of the line--but rather as an opportunity to learn and use the insights acquired through it to move onward and upward--it can infuse new life into a project, a team, and a business organization.

Failure-tolerant leaders engage on a personal level with their subordinates, by taking a sincere and wholehearted interest in employee projects, attempting to understand the intricacies of their employees' work, learning to appreciate the meaning the work has for those employees as individuals, and having the ability to frame its significance for them as it relates to the "big picture." They become involved with their teams, as well as with their teams' concerns, problems, and aspirations, which gives team members dignity and makes them feel as if they have a vital role to play in "their" company's business success.

Failure-tolerant leaders take a nonjudgmental attitude when interfacing with staff in the business setting, avoiding either praise or criticism for project outcomes, but rather, engaging in objective analysis of the reasons for them, as well as thoughtful interpretation of any other factors that may be relevant to the situation. This enables employees to have a realistic view of what must be done in order to change failure into success.