What are you afraid of as a leader? On the top of many people's list is failure. Is it on your list too?

J.M. Barrie said, "We are all failures--at least, all the best of us are." In my 30-plus years of leadership experience, Ive come to the conclusion that one of the most valuable but underestimated abilities that leaders can posses is the ability to do what I call "failing forward." Its more than having a good attitude about your mistakes, and its a step beyond simply taking risks. Failing forward is the ability to get back up after youve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.

You see, everybody makes mistakes. But the real difference between average people and achieving people is their PERCEPTION OF and RESPONSE TO failure. Nothing else has the same kind of impact on peoples ability to accomplish their dreams.

What do you dream of accomplishing? Unfortunately, no matter how gifted or knowledgeable you are, you will make mistakes along the way to your dream. Failure is the price you must pay on the road to success. Thats just how it works. But the good news is that the better you are at failing forward, the sooner you can accomplish your dreams.

Before you put away your list of resolutions for this year, look at the following misconceptions about failure. Take an honest inventory to determine if your perception of failure is what it should be. If you share any of these misconceptions, add to your list the resolution to change the way you think about failure.

1. PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS AVOIDABLE. ITS NOT.

   Youve probably heard the saying, "To err is human, to forgive divine." That was written by Alexander Pope more than 250 years ago. And he was only paraphrasing a saying that was common 2,000 years ago, during the time of the Romans. Things today are the same as they were then: People make mistakes.

   Dont buy into the notion that mistakes can somehow be avoided. They cant be. Accept that you will err because youre human, but dont let that keep you from pursuing your dreams.

    

2. PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS AN EVENT. ITS NOT.

   Think about your school days. If you or someone you knew received an F on a test, the tendency was to think that you failed at that moment. However, thats not the case. The F shows that the test taker neglected the process leading up to the test and the result was a poor score. The truth is that you dont receive Fs for failing a test, but for failing to prepare for a test.

   Failure is just like success - its a day-to-day process, not someplace you arrive one day. Failure is not a one time event, its how you deal with life along the way. Yes, you will make mistakes, but you cant conclude that youre a failure until you breathe your last breath. Until then, youre still in the process, and there is still time to turn things around for the better.

    

3. PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS OBJECTIVE. ITS NOT.

   When you forget a meeting, miss a deadline, damage a relationship, or make a poor choice concerning your children, what determines whether that action was a failure? Is it the size of the problem it creates, the amount of money your company loses, or how much criticism you have to endure? No. The truth is that only you are the only person who can label what you do a failure. Failure is subjective. Your perception of and response to your mistakes determine whether they are failures.

   According to Tulane University business professor Lisa Amos, entrepreneurs fail in an average of 3.8 business ventures before they finally make it. They arent deterred by mistakes or adversity because they dont see setbacks as failures. They recognize that three steps forward and two steps back still equals one step forward. Determine to see your mistakes as merely temporary lapses, and start using them as stepping stones to success.

    

4. PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS THE ENEMY. ITS NOT.

   Most people try to avoid failure like the plague. Theyre afraid of it. But it takes adversity to create success. NBA coach Rick Pitino says, "Failure is good. Its fertilizer. Everything Ive learned about coaching Ive learned from making mistakes."

   If you desire to be a high achiever you cant see mistakes as the enemy. Musicologist Eloise Ristad emphasizes that, "when we give ourselves permission to fail, we at the same time give ourselves permission to excel." Shes right. Begin to perceive mistakes as opportunities rather than opponents.

    

5. PEOPLE THINK FAILURE IS IRREVERSIBLE. ITS NOT.

   Theres an old saying in Texas that goes: "It doesnt matter how much milk you spill as long as you dont lose your cow." In other words, mistakes are not irreversible. The problems come when you see only the "spilled milk" and not the bigger picture.

   Tom Peters wisely acknowledged, "If silly things were not done, intelligent things would never happen." When you make a mistake, keep things in perspective. Understand that on the heels of every mistake is a valuable lesson and another opportunity to improve.

Washington Irving once noted, "Great minds have purposes; others have wishes. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes; but great minds rise above them." If you tend to focus on the extremes of mistakes and fixate on particular events in your life, make a resolution to gain a new perspective on failure. See errors and negative experiences as a regular part of life and determine to learn and grow from them. If you can do that well, you may find that your dreams are much closer than you think.

This article provided by ChristianBusinessDaily.com -- The Online Network for Christians in Business. Your source for news, articles, and commentary from a biblical perspective.

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