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5 Steps To Turning Failure Into Business Success

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When you start a business you aren’t guaranteed success. But you can be sure that failure will happen, usually sooner rather than later. A lot of people give up at the first failure, some make it through two or three. They don’t believe this simple fact: failure is the catapult which will launch them to their greatest success.

Any experienced entrepreneur will happily let you know that without failure you will never have real success. So it’s time to not just embrace failure, but make it your friend.

Here are 5 steps to turn your big failures into even bigger successes:

1. Take time to grieve

Perhaps you just lost an important client. Maybe you invested months or years into an idea, only to discover that the market just didn’t see your vision. Possibly a business partner left you hanging.

No matter the cause when you have a failure it is an emotional event. Take a little time to let it go. This is a loss and grief is natural. So give yourself a day or even several to get over the fact that things won’t work out as you planned. Once you’ve grieved you are psychologically ready to take steps in another direction. Not grieving may leave you with emotional baggage that will hold you back later.

 

2. Do a post mortem

After grieving take time to discover exactly what went wrong. Perhaps there was a miscommunication with the client. It could be there wasn’t sufficient market research. Even a lack of a proper contract can sour a potentially lucrative deal.

The post mortem shows you why things fell apart. Missing this step is a huge error. Here experience is converted to wisdom. Remember, if you don’t learn from the failure then you’ll likely repeat it.

“When you come to a roadblock, take a detour.” – Mary Kay Ash 

3. Move ahead quickly

After grieving and the post mortem, it’s very important to get back into the game. Meet with a mastermind group and hammer out a better plan. Brainstorm new product ideas or ways to grow your customer base. Don’t wait.

Just as grief is necessary to let go of the failure, moving ahead quickly will give you the confidence that you can still have the success you deserve. Mindset is the key. Action precedes emotion. Take action to get yourself in the right place mentally.

 

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4. Adjust on the fly

Many entrepreneurs fail because they either didn’t have a plan or they rigidly clung to a plan that was clearly not working. It’s a lot easier to adjust course while in motion rather than starting from scratch.

Once things are ramping back up take time to talk to customers, partners and mentors. Find out from them how it looks from their perspective. Make adjustments based on clear and logical feedback. Discovering and correcting small errors now will steer you more clearly toward your destination of success.

 

5. Fear not and fail more

Failure tends to make us more risk averse. Fear creeps in and tries to convince us to play small. Don’t let that happen. Once you know what caused the failure in the past then you can avoid it and move forward.

Other failures may yet be in the future, but each one will teach you more about your business, more about relationships and more about yourself. Take risks and accept failure as a welcome companion on the path to success.

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” – Robert F. Kennedy

Most new businesses fail because the business owner simply quits trying. It is the rare person who will push through, repeatedly stepping up to the line to start again. Your success depends on many factors, but perhaps the most important is your ability to learn from and build on failure.

You will have failures. They are unavoidable. But if you grieve briefly, do a post mortem, move ahead quickly, adjust on the fly and keep hustling despite fear then success will be inevitable. Don’t hold back, go all in and when failure comes just smile a bit. Failure without quitting is the greatest sign of your success to come.

Which one of these is your biggest setback and why? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

I help people develop amazing relationships and love what they do every day. I'm a writer, speaker and coach and you can read my articles on great sites such as the Huffington Post, Addicted2Success, the Good Men Project and Lifehack. Happiness in life and passion in your work are my goals. Meet me at TroyStoneking.com and Troy Stoneking on Facebook.

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In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

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What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

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1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

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  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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