Failing Forward: How Leaders Grow from Mistakes

Abraham Lincoln, the man who came from nothing and went on to preserve the union of the United States through the Civil War as president, is often thought of as a flawless leader by many around the world today. However, he was no stranger to failure throughout his lifetime, going bankrupt, losing multiple elections, and facing personal setbacks, including depressive tendencies after losing his first love, Ann Rutledge. By all accounts, Lincoln should have given up on politics long before reaching the presidency. Yet, rather than allowing his losses to strike him down, Lincoln let his repeated defeats instead mold him into an individual eager to learn and persevere despite insurmountable odds. Each setback became a lesson in resilience, teaching him how to continue leading despite disappointment. When he was eventually faced with the most pivotal task of holding a divided nation together, his hard-earned lessons of dedication and grit became his greatest assets. Lincoln’s journey is a powerful reminder that failure is not the opposite of successful leadership; rather, it is often the path that leads us there. As such, true leadership is not about avoiding mistakes but about learning how to fail forward.

In a fast-paced, cutthroat world, society often expects leaders to always have all the answers - confident, composed, never a single hair out of place; one mistake and you’re out. From boardrooms to classrooms, leadership is often portrayed as a skill that requires perfection rather than one that necessitates growth. However, this misconception could not be further from the truth, as even history’s most revered leaders, such as Lincoln, paved their path to greatness through grueling trial and error. Instead, when we hold leaders to impossible standards, we create a hostile culture where mistakes are feared and demonized rather than learned from. Conversely, by fostering a culture where failures are viewed as opportunities to grow, successful leadership can blossom through the myriad of benefits reaped in reflection of a setback.

When leaders are welcomed to view failure as a chance to reflect, they open the door to resilience. Resilience cannot be built in moments of joyous victories but only in the quiet aftermath of resounding disappointments, where leaders must make the consequential decision whether to give up or to try again. By choosing to persevere, leaders can learn that setbacks are not permanent and can be overcome through dedication, slowly developing their strength and resilience with each stumble. What’s more, higher resiliency is linked to the ability to bounce back from stressful situations faster, allowing failure to develop even more successful leaders who spend less time in negative states and re-engage with activities quicker. Lincoln's journey to the presidency exemplifies the powerful ability of failure to cultivate resiliency, as his repeated defeats in elections did not break his spirit, rather forged patience, ambition, and emotional steadiness. On a smaller scale, any leader - whether collaborating with a chapter officer team, teaching a workshop, or organizing a fundraiser - can experience this same growth from failure: the officer learns how to better manage conflict and deliver a more effective, engaging workshop, and the team develops strategies to raise more money. Ultimately, each setback is an opportunity to strengthen resilience - to recover, adapt, and come back even stronger the next time.

Beyond resilience, failure can develop another important quality of effective leadership - self-awareness. By making mistakes, leaders are forced to confront and accept their limits, allowing them to understand that growth, rather than perfection, is the true end goal. Following a setback with reflecting on what could’ve been done differently aids in identifying strengths and weaknesses and allows leaders to become aware of their natural tendencies; this is the first step necessary for taking measurable steps towards improvement. For example, a chapter officer who realizes they controlled every aspect of a project may learn the value of delegation and trust. A team that realizes a chapter meeting was chaotic may learn the value of strategic planning beforehand and clear communication during the meeting. By taking honest moments of reflection, leaders can transform failure from something purely negative into an incredible learning tool that can illuminate areas of improvement. Growth successfully occurs when leaders are able to identify what went wrong, acknowledge their limitations, and utilize that insight to make better decisions in the future. 

Failure can additionally be transformative for leaders through fostering empathy, a trait that can strengthen leadership beyond technical skills or strategies. Leaders who have journeyed on an uneven road are more attuned to the struggles of those around them and understand mistakes are required for improvement rather than perceiving them as a signal of incompetence. For example, an officer who has mismanaged a project in the past will be more patient and supportive when a teammate makes an error, offering constructive criticism instead of biting words. The shared experience of overcoming difficult setbacks helps cultivate a team culture where members feel safe to take risks and contribute ideas. In turn, this causes a ripple effect where empathetic leaders who have learned from failure foster a growth-mindset culture, allowing fellow team members to learn from their mistakes and develop empathy. Thus, this reinforces the positive culture and creates endless possibilities to learn from setbacks. Through experiencing and reflecting upon failure, leaders are equipped to serve with compassion, helping those around them similarly develop a healthy relationship with their mistakes.

Successful leadership does not call for perfection - it requires failure. From Lincoln’s repeated defeats to everyday setbacks for officer teams, mistakes offer leaders the transformative opportunity to build resilience, develop self-awareness, and increase empathy. Each obstacle on the road becomes a lesson in how to reflect, adapt, and grow into a stronger leader. Impactful leadership is not measured by the absence of mistakes but by the ability to fail forward: to rise after each fall, to apply the lessons learned wisely, and to guide others with empathy and understanding. So the next time you stumble, remember that failure is not the end - it is an open invitation for you to learn resilience, self-awareness, and empathy and become a revolutionary leader.

Hayden Turner

Historian

2025 - 2026