Share this
by James Robert Lay on January 31, 2023
Brief Summary of Episode #268
Every great leader takes lifelong lessons to heart.
For every win, a tale of failure looms in its shadow. No one achieves real long-term success without cracking a few eggs along the way.
It’s how we respond to failure that separates the imitators from the change-makers.
When Shane Saunders, President and CEO of Mocse Credit Union, failed to summit El Capitan, a notorious rock-climbing destination in California, he didn’t dwell on the downside.
“What I took from the narrative is that it’s a 40 percent success rate,” Shane said. “Those in that 40 percent were likely, at one point, in the other 60 percent who failed.”
To Shane, a failure isn’t a stalemate — it’s a lesson learned.
“You now have the experience, the skillset, and the tools to apply to the next round going forward,” he said.
We can’t be afraid to fail because that’s how we grow as people and as organizations.
“We had better grow and evolve,” Shane said. “The pace at which we learn and move is going ever faster, and we’d better stay on that curve. Otherwise, we’re not going to be around.”
By embracing change and facing failure head-on, we can lead our teams forward in transformation.
Key Insights and Takeaways
- How a challenging climb up El Capitan affected Shane’s outlook on failure (17:00)
- Pushing past failure to achieve change in your organization (26:53)
- Leading through uncertainty and giving your team clarity (35:40)