Losing Is Not Failure

A reporter asked a chess champion what it was like to lose a chess match.

Profound words from a young Nigerian boy, competing to be the youngest chess master in the world. Already, at the age of 9, he operates from a reframe of losing as a learning opportunity, rather than failure. This young boy can teach us much.

How many times do we avoid doing something because we are afraid that we might fail? This fear can curtail implementation of a new program, process, or innovation. This may be even more notable in an organization that is risk averse. In a risk averse organization, if you take a risk and it succeeds, that is greeted with approval. But risks that do not pan out are met with such criticism and blame, risk takers may soon avoid the unpleasantness of “failure.”

What might we accomplish if we reframed our failure as a learning opportunity? Tani tells us that when he loses, he looks at what he missed and how he can make sure he does not do that again. It is just a step in his journey to become a champion. “He is not afraid of anything on that board,” says his coach. Imagine the freedom of being able to proceed toward a goal, learning along the way, but not being deterred by a loss.

Fear is a powerful motivator. Overcoming it and pushing beyond it requires courage. Fear of failure if we try something new, if others do not approve, if others are risk averse, can stymy progress. Learning organizations welcome failure as a way to learn how it might be done differently or better.

We should learn from Tani and become a learner instead of being afraid to fail. It will open up opportunities to further your dreams and accomplish projects you may avoid if success isn’t guaranteed.

About the Authors
Pam Thompson MS, RN, FAAN is the CEO Emeritus of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, formerly AONE. During the same time, 2000–2016, she was the Senior VP of Nursing for the American Hospital Association. After retiring in 2017, she now serves as a healthcare consultant and volunteer board member and trustee for several healthcare entities.

Marla Weston PhD, RN, FAAN is the past CEO of the American Nurses Association Enterprise which included the American Nurses Association, American Nurses Credentialing Center and American Nurses Foundation, serving from 2009 to 2018. She now is a consultant and facilitator in leadership development, organizational strategy and growth, and future trends.

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