when they should be training for failure. Failure is far more com-
mon than success.” Maxwell says that this concept—training for
failure—prompted him to write the book. “Most people try to
avoid failure like the plague. They’re afraid of it. But it takes
adversity to create success. Basketball coach Rick Pitino states it
even more strongly. ‘Failure is good,’ he says. ‘It’s fertilizer. Every-
thing I’ve learned about coaching I’ve learned from making mis-
takes.’
“People who see failure as the enemy are captive to those who
conquer it. Herbert V. Procknow says, ‘The fellow who never
makes a mistake takes his orders from one who does.’ Observe
any high achiever, and you’ll discover a person who doesn’t see
a mistake as the enemy. That’s true in any endeavor. Musicologist
Eloise Ristad emphasizes that ‘when we give ourselves permission
to fail, we at the same time give ourselves permission to excel.’
“There’s an old saying in Texas: ‘It doesn’t matter how much
milk you spill as long as you don’t lose your cow.’ In other words,
mistakes are not irreversible. Keep everything in perspective. The
problems come when you see only the spilled milk.
“‘Mistakes are not permanent markers,’ continues Ristad. I
love the perspective of the late Senator Sam Ervin Jr., who
remarked, ‘Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul
and let the glory out.’ That’s the way we need to look at failure.”Take Risks
Giving in to our fears of taking risks stunts our capacity for
growth. A leader cannot simply tread water.
When Billy Graham decided to go to Russia against the advice
of the State Department and many high officials, as well as some
of his own advisers, he suffered the impact of the fallout. Ulti-
mately, he was vindicated, but not every risky venture turns out
that way.
Billy would avoid all unnecessaryrisks, as we see with his
“Modesto Manifesto,” and his constant weighing-in-the-balances
of options and appearances. But he was also always taking risks.
Every time he appeared on television, held a press conference
Learning from Failure