Topic
Best Failure Podcast Episodes
Failure is covered across 3 podcast episodes in our library, spanning 2 shows — including The Ed Mylett Show, The School of Greatness. Conversations explore core themes like good miss vs. bad miss, keeping failure and success together, the success journey, drawing on firsthand experience and research from leading practitioners.
Below you'll find key insights, core concepts, and actionable advice aggregated from the top episodes — followed by a ranked list of the best failure discussions to explore next.
Key Insights on Failure
- 1.The primary reason people avoid failure is ego and an excessive concern for how they appear to others, not the inherent difficulty or consequences of the failure itself [00:00, 07:06].
- 2.It is more advantageous to "get in the game and fail" than to "sit in the bleachers and fail," as sitting out guarantees no win and disqualifies one from any potential success [00:00, 07:44].
- 3.The distinction between a "good miss" and a "bad miss" lies in one's response to failure: making adjustments (good) versus making excuses (bad), the latter of which inhibits awareness and growth [25:05].
- 4.Keeping failure and success together is crucial because they provide balance; failure instills humility during success, while success fosters resiliency during periods of failure [13:46, 14:48].
- 5.Successful individuals should openly discuss their failures and the lessons learned, as this encourages others by tagging failure with success and demonstrating that it can be overcome [29:25].
- 6.Admitting personal failures and imperfections as a leader (whether in business or family) builds deeper trust, connection, and provides a redemptive path for both the leader and those they influence [35:33, 37:35].
Key Concepts in Failure
Good miss vs. bad miss
This framework distinguishes between types of failure not by the outcome, but by one's response. A "good miss" leads to making adjustments and learning, while a "bad miss" involves making excuses and avoiding awareness, thus impeding personal growth [25:05].
Keeping failure and success together
This concept posits that success and failure are not opposing forces to be kept separate, but rather intertwined elements that balance each other. Failure provides humility during success, and success builds resiliency during times of failure, fostering a more balanced perspective on progress [13:46].
The success journey
This idea reframes personal and professional achievement as an ongoing journey rather than a fixed destination. Embracing this perspective allows individuals to continuously learn, grow, and take on harder challenges without the disappointment of reaching a perceived 'finish line' [19:14].
Everything is god (mindset)
This concept posits that there is no true failure or wrong; everything that happens, especially when things don't go as planned, is because it wasn't supposed to. This framework encourages trust in a larger process, focusing on positives over negatives, and actively seeking new opportunities rather than dwelling on setbacks.
Actionable Takeaways
- ✓Reframe your perspective on failure by asking, as John Maxwell does: "If failure were possible but you knew if it happened it was going to help you, what would you attempt to accomplish?" [05:04].
- ✓Analyze your response to setbacks to distinguish between a "good miss" (leading to adjustments and learning) and a "bad miss" (leading to excuses and stagnation) [25:05].
- ✓Consciously keep the concepts of failure and success intertwined in your mind to ensure humility during times of achievement and to build resiliency during setbacks [13:46].
- ✓Challenge your ego and shift focus from how your failures might look to others to the actual learning and impact, thereby empowering yourself to "get in the game" [07:06, 10:09].
- ✓As a leader or mentor, share your own past failures and the insights gained from them to encourage others and build a stronger, more authentic connection [28:24, 30:27].
Top Episodes — Ranked by Insight (3)
The Ed Mylett Show
John Maxwell: The REAL Reason You’re Afraid to Fail
The primary reason people avoid failure is ego and an excessive concern for how they appear to others, not the inherent difficulty or consequences of the failure itself [00:00, 07:06].
The School of Greatness
Sometimes the thing you think is failure is actually success
Perceived failures should be reinterpreted as events that were not meant to happen, rather than as actual failures.
The School of Greatness
The Greatest Gift For a child
Unconditional love from a parent provides a child with the security and confidence to overcome failure.
Episodes ranked by insight density — scored on key takeaways, concepts explained, and actionable advice. AI-generated summaries; listen to full episodes for complete context.
