We all make mistakes, and most of us make the same mistake several times. Learning from our mistakes is a lifelong process. Growing is often painful, but growing and learning are positive benefi ts of failure. We often learn very little from our successes. Instead, we learn what will work by trial and error. Great leaders learn what works by trying and failing. We should embrace failures and ask ourselves diffi cult questions rather than running away. The fi rst and most important question is, where did the idea originate? Was this a good idea? If so, why did it fail? What was my role in the failure, and what could I have done better? How did I respond to the failure, and what will I do differently next time? We must be courageous enough to ask these and other probing questions in the church community or whatever group setting is relevant to the circumstances. Finally, we must never allow ourselves to be defi ned by failure, recognizing that the ultimate failure is not trying.
