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Failure plagues business leaders and teams everywhere  yet it also holds the key to success.

This week we interviewed organisational psychologist Amy Edmondson whose new book _Right Kind of Wrong_ won the Financial Times Schroeders Business Book of the Year.

The Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School explained there are three types of failure.

**3 Types of Failure**

- **Intelligent** \(e.g. a prototype that doesn't work. These are the right kind of wrong mistakes that help gather data for new products or projects\)

- **Basic** \(e.g. the email sent to the wrong person, the missed meeting. These failures are those everyday occurrences that are often preventable\)

- **Complex** \(e.g. a ship crashing into rocks. These failures are often a string of little mistakes that add up - they are also usually preventable, but they can turn into real monsters\)

**Empower employees to speak up**

Renowned for her world-leading research into the concept of psychological safety, Amy drives home the point that everyones voice is mission critical and can change the game.

Thats because many mistakes happen because **warning signs** were missed, ignored or downplayed.

Amy has linked blameless reporting of mistakes \(i.e. a [psychologically safe culture](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/psychologicallysafeworkplaces)\) with helping prevent an escalation of a basic mistake into a complex one.

As Toyota do with their famous Andon cable, which empowers factory floor staff to pause production when they spot something they perceive to be a threat to vehicle quality, all leaders should:

- pay attention to **ambiguous threats**

- ensure employees all levels of the organisation are willing to speak up **without certainty**

- change their attitude to **false alarms**

**Alert team members to expect mistakes**

Basic mistakes are the most preventable. It's a case of "coulda, shoulda, woulda."

In so many cases, with hindsight, we admit we knew what we _should have_ or _could have_ done, we just **didnt use knowledge** that was available because of **inattention, neglect,** or **overconfidence**.

Amy, who has been named by Thinkers50 as the most influential management thinker in the world, says leaders should keep people on high alert for mistakes by reminding them of the possibility or probability of failure.

- **A healthcare practitioner** can remind their team that they work in a complex and error-prone environment

- **A pilot** can admit to their flight crew that theyve never flown a perfect flight yet, and ask for the crew's help in spotting \(the inevitable\) errors

**Favour learning over knowing**

This calls for leaders to be authentic and vulnerable. Their team is kept accountable for high quality work, but mistakes are not hidden away for fear of retribution.

Amy suggests businesses do as _Think Again_ author and ReThinking podcast host [Adam Grant](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000R00ZEAS) suggests and **learn a new way of thinking**  one that favours learning over knowing.

This is essential for navigating life in an uncertain and changing world, where change is certain, and complex failures are on the rise.

Amy suggests the next time we fail to pause to challenge the automatic thoughts that cause us pain and embarrassment and **reframe those thoughts** to allow ourselves to choose learning over knowing.

In other words, to give yourself permission to learn.

**Criteria for intelligent failure**

So, let's revisit "intelligent failure." The criteria for a failure to be considered intelligent, which requires that the failure be:

- **In new territory**. Theres not enough knowledge to produce a success

- **In pursuit of a goal**. It requires learning and discovery

- **Hypothesis driven**. Youve done your homework

- **Small enough**. Its _just_ big enough to learn from\)

Amy calls intelligent failures by another name: "beeping forward."

**Beep forward**

This term "beep forward" stems from an experiment Amy conducts with her students called "The Electric Maze."

Teams of students must cross a rug featuring a grid pattern of coloured squares. When stepped on, some squares beep and some remain silent. Teams are given a time limit to complete a crossing of the rug without making a single "beep."

Students invariably hestitate before stepping on a square in case it beeps. However, Amy says this is a **curious waste of time**. _All_ stepped-on squares \(beeping or not\) feed back information to the team. Treating a "beep" as a mistake is ridiculous, as nobody knows which squares will beep or not.

The information is **unknowable beforehand** , so every step is a learning opportunity. The lesson for emerging leaders and current leaders is this: Is your team being encouraged, empowered, and enthused to "beep forward?"

**See Adam Grant in person in 2024**

If you've enjoyed Professor Amy Edmondson, make sure you don't miss seeing Adam Grant in-person to his insights on work-life, culture, discovering hidden potential in teams, and [psychological safety](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/adamgrantpsychologicalsafety)

His highly-anticipated Australian tour is in February [ ADAM GRANT  LIVE: Unlock Hidden Potential & Transform WorkLife](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000R00ZEAS). Tickets are selling fast \(Some categories SOLD OUT\).

**About Adam Grant**

Adam Grant is a renowned organisational psychologist, bestselling author, and global influencer. As Wharton's top-rated professor for seven consecutive years, his expertise in motivation, generosity, original thinking, and rethinking has made him a leading authority in his field.

His five _New York Times_ bestselling books _Think Again, Give and Take, Originals, Option B_ , and _Power Moves_ have resonated with millions of readers in 45 languages. His latest book is _Hidden Potential._

With hugely successful TED talks and his TED podcasts WorkLife and ReThinking, plus a substantial social media following and popular monthly newsletter, Adam Grant is one of the world's most inspiring thinkers and speakers.

Harvard professor shares 3 types of failure that lead to success

Thinkers50 #1 Amy Edmondson on Right Kind of Wrong

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

Harvard professor shares 3 types of failure that lead to success

Thinkers50 #1 Amy Edmondson on Right Kind of Wrong

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired