Redefining Failure

Failure. One of the most common topics brought up in interviews, often framed as, “Tell me about a time when you failed and what you learned from it.” To me, the terms "failed" and "learned" don't quite belong together. In fact, they’re almost contradictory. Can you truly fail if you have learned something from the experience? When you face a setback and come out of it with more knowledge and understanding, you're growing. Growing is not failing, growing is succeeding. After all, it is very rare to succeed without growth.

When starting a career, it’s common to begin at the bottom and work your way up, acquiring new skills and growing along the way. For example, if you interview for a high-paying position but don’t get it, you might be offered a lower-level role with less pay. Initially, it may seem like a setback, but if you put in the effort and excel in the lower position, eventually advancing to the high-paying role you originally wanted, that initial setback turns into success. Not getting your dream job right away is not a failure; it's an opportunity for growth. Over time, as you gain experience and prove yourself, you achieve your goals, showing that growth was the real outcome.

Similarly, great public speaking skills aren’t something you're born with; they are developed through practice. If you bomb a presentation, you have two choices: you can either ignore the experience and not address what went wrong (which could be seen as failure), or you can reflect on the experience, practice, and improve for the next time (which represents growth).

Failure should not be defined by a single action or outcome. If there is a “but” in the narrative—such as “I didn’t succeed this time, but I learned and improved”—it signifies growth and can no longer be deemed as a time one has failed. True failure only exists in the absence of a "but," where the story ends without the possibility of change.