english 1302

Professor Kylee Groos

English 1302

23 October 2017

Embracing Failure

From the front lines of combat to the orderly rows inside an elementary school classroom, the ways in which we handle our successes and failures, and even how we decide which is which, is largely based upon our own individual way of thinking. Though they approach the topic of failure from wildly different perspectives, authors Jocko Willink and Carol Dweck both spend their time educating the public on the importance of retraining our brains to embrace challenges and take ownership of our failures. To retired U.S. Navy Seal Willink, this means "total responsibility for failure...and taking ownership when things go wrong", while Dweck, a renowned psychologist, discusses a "growth mindset", stating that "the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life". The unifying crux of both these authors' messages: accountability and acceptance- for one's mistakes and failures, and in recognizing the fact that "failures" are the gateway to the most powerful of all successes.

Carol Dweck's 2006 "Mindset" discusses the two types of approaches to viewing one's abilities: the fixed mindset vs. the growth mindset. Through a highly researched and methodical, psychological approach, Dweck argues that those with fixed mindsets are generally fearful of challenging opportunities as they may result in failure, which would then confirm the belief that one's abilities are cemented and unable to be improved upon- a detrimental, self-fulfilling prophecy, so to speak. In her own words, Dweck states that the fixed mindset means "believing that your qualities are carved in stone". In contrast, Dweck goes on to explain that the "growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts, your strategies, and help from others." Those with growth mindsets ultimately achieve more due to having a greater sense of their own strengths and weaknesses, and a robust passion for tackling challenges, regardless of outcome. Dweck encourages her readers to "stretch" themselves mentally, which is a similar theme found in Jocko Willink's writing.

In Willink's "Extreme Ownership: How U.S Navy SEALs Lead and Win", he shares anecdotal evidence through an intense and highly personal writing style that supports his assertion that one must always take complete ownership of his or her mistakes and failures. As taking total and complete responsibility regardless of the consequences is not always an easy feat, he, like Dweck, asks the reader to "stretch" themselves beyond what is comfortable. He insists that "The leader must own everything in his or her world...The leader must acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win." Further, his sentiment that "a leader set ego aside, accept responsibility for failures, [and] attack weaknesses..." aligns with Dweck in its core value of facing challenges or failures head-on without being derailed by feelings of inadequacy.

Both authors challenge us to move beyond our own fears of failure and reconsider what it means to be a leader and a success. As someone who spent many years crippled by a fixed mindset, and perhaps a fear of being accountable for my failures, I have seen first-hand the powerful ways in which shifting into a growth mindset positively affects nearly every aspect of how I approach life. As a child and young adult, I was terrified to attempt anything that came with risk of failure or even mediocrity, for fear of judgement and appearing "stupid". I watched as peers were teased for shouting out incorrect answers or for earning a "C" on a test and this only further cemented my fears that anything short of perfection was unacceptable. "Better to have never tried at all than to have tried and failed (because goodness, how embarrassing!)", was my mentality. Many amazing opportunities have been lost due to my fear of failure. Eventually, sheer necessity led to my having to risk humiliation (or so I feared) for the reward of a college degree. Years later, I find myself carving new pathways in my approach to risk and failure. I have experienced repeated challenges and confronted most of them with success. When they have resulted in less-than desired results, I found that I walked away with more character and a deeper understanding of my own abilities- a priceless lesson, regardless of the superficial outcome. The more challenges I face, the more confidence is gained and the road to a positive self-fulfilling prophecy is begun.

Both Carol Dweck and Jocko Willink, have worked to encourage the public to rethink how and why we cope with failure in the ways that we do. While their specific approaches vary on how one addresses failure, either through "extreme ownership" or by flipping our concept of failure altogether, the two perspectives merge and complement one another when both authors ultimately ask us to be willing to push ourselves past face-saving ways of thinking. When we meld the two sentiments, we are left with an even more powerful message: our greatest achievements will be realized when we have the courage to take ownership of our failures while embracing experiences that may very well lead to them.

Works Cited

Dweck, Carol. "Chapter 1: The Mindsets." Mindset. Ballantine Books, 2006.

Willink, Jocko and Leif Babin. Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win. St. Martin’s Press, 2015. (pg. 17 – 31)