Introduction.
Every successful person on earth must have failed a number of times befor he was able to eventually acheive success.
A very good example is the case of Thomas Edison, who invented the carbon telephone transmitter, light bulb and photograph. In his efforts to produce an electric bulb. Edison failed 1000 times before he was able to achieve success.
Another example is Elon Musk. He is currently the world's richest man. His space exploration company known as SpaceX underwent multiple failures before success was achieved. The failures ranged from rocket explosions, failed lunches, financial problems that nearly led to bankruptcy.(It was estimated that they were only one lunch away from running out of funds). Amidst all these failures, Musk persevered in his vision for SpaceX and continued to work with his team till 2018, when they were able to launch the Falcon 1 rocket into the orbit. This success made them the first privately owned company to lunch a rocket into the orbit. There after, SpaceX have continued to achieve great milestone.
Failing forward Explained.
Failing forward can be said to be a mindset that helps people perceive failure differently, instead of seeing failure as an outright failure or roadblock. Failing forward helps a person perceive and respond to failure as a learning point.
Failure should be viewed as a stepping stones towards success. For example, when you hit a bump while traveling on the road, the concept of failing forward wants you not to consider the bump entirely an obstacle but should be seen as an opportunity to master the route properly.
Certainly, the concept of failing forward doesn't mean that you want to fail nor that you enjoy failing. But it means that you acknowledge that failure is an important and inevitable part to success and as such, you won't stop trying because of fear of failing. Moreso, when you fail, you should also not allow the pain from failure ruin your desire to succeed.
Some basic things to know about failing forward.
In your quest to succeed or acheive a goal, you will make mistakes from time to time.
The more you try, the more likely you are to fail and the closer you are to success.
All your failures are learning points and you will learn greatly from them than you would do from your success.
As an entrepreneur or a project owner, anticipate failures as much as you hope for success.
You haven't failed when you fail. You fail when you fail and stop trying.
Conclusion.
From the story foretold about Edison and Musk, you will see perseverance and resilience. Their eventual success should be a lesson and inspiration to young business owners, entrepreneurs and leaders.
This is what failing forward is all about. "A don't give up attitude" towards your visions and goals. It encourages you to stay focused on your goals even in the face of challenges. Perhaps, Musk have always emphasized the importance of learning from our failures. According to him, each failure and setback from both Tesla and SpaceX were learning points and opportunities for improvements.
I hope I have been able to establish that failing forward is a vital tool in business. Failure therefore, is a vital aspect of business, it enables you learn and adapt even as you grow.
Each time you fail and feel like giving up, remember that; a winner is just another looser that tried one more time.