Imagine standing on the edge of a vast desert, the scorching sun overhead, the sand shifting beneath your feet. This was the atmosphere at SpaceX in 2008, as Elon Musk and his team faced the aftermath of their third failed rocket launch.

The tension was palpable, the smell of burnt fuel still lingering in the air. The mood was somber, the weight of failure pressing down heavily on everyone.

Elon Musk, however, had a different perspective. He saw this failure not as a defeat but as a stepping stone.

“Every successful person is someone who failed, yet never regarded themselves as a failure,”

says John Maxwell.

Musk knew that failure was a part of the journey, a necessary component of ultimate success.

The Reality of Failure

In the world of mobility, tech, and engineering, failure is inevitable. Projects don’t always go as planned, and setbacks can feel insurmountable.

But how we perceive and respond to failure makes all the difference. This is where John Maxwell’s concept of “Failing Forward” comes into play.

Failing forward is about using failure as a learning experience and a stepping stone towards success. It’s about maintaining a positive attitude and focusing on what can be done rather than what went wrong.

As Bob Butera said,

“What distinguishes winners from losers is that winners concentrate at all times on what they can do, not on what they can’t do.”

The 7 Abilities Needed to Fail Forward

Here are the seven abilities essential for failing forward, illustrated through the story of SpaceX and other anecdotal experiences.

1️⃣ Reject Rejection

Failure often feels personal, but it’s crucial to separate the event from self-worth. Musk faced harsh criticism and financial strain after repeated failures. Instead of internalizing rejection, he viewed it as feedback, fueling his resolve to succeed.

2️⃣ Don’t Take Failure Personally

It’s easy to equate failure with personal inadequacy. However, Maxwell teaches that it’s essential to view failure as an external event, not a reflection of your abilities.

When an engineer at SpaceX suggested a modification that led to another failed test, the team didn’t blame him; instead, they collectively analyzed the issue and moved forward.

3️⃣ See Failure as Temporary

Failures are not permanent. They are temporary setbacks that provide valuable lessons. After SpaceX’s third failure, Musk and his team regrouped, learned from their mistakes, and ultimately achieved a successful launch with the Falcon 1. This success was a direct result of seeing failure as a temporary hurdle.

4️⃣ Keep Expectations Realistic

Unrealistic expectations can lead to unnecessary disappointment. By setting achievable goals, you create a framework where success is built incrementally.

SpaceX didn’t aim to colonize Mars in their first attempt. Instead, they focused on one successful launch at a time, building on each small victory.

5️⃣ Focus on Strengths

Maximize what you’re good at. Each failure taught SpaceX valuable lessons, but they always leveraged their core strengths—innovation, determination, and teamwork. Identifying and utilizing strengths helps mitigate the impact of failures and keeps the focus on moving forward.

6️⃣ Vary Approaches to Achievement

Stubbornly sticking to one method can lead to repeated failures. Flexibility and creativity in problem-solving are crucial. After initial setbacks, SpaceX varied its engineering approaches, experimented with different technologies, and continuously iterated on its designs until it found what worked.

7️⃣ Bounce Back

Resilience is key to failing forward. The ability to recover from setbacks quickly determines long-term success. SpaceX’s resilience was tested repeatedly, but its ability to bounce back, driven by a relentless pursuit of its vision, was the cornerstone of its eventual success.

Applying the Lessons

These abilities are not limited to aerospace engineering. In the mobility, tech, and engineering sectors, leaders and teams face similar challenges.

When a project fails, it’s easy to get bogged down by the negativity. But by adopting a fail-forward mindset, you can transform setbacks into setups for greater achievements.

I encourage you to take an audit of how you and your team handle failure.

Reflect on recent setbacks and analyze how you responded.

Did you see the failure as temporary? Did you focus on what could be done next?

How quickly were you able to bounce back?

Identify areas for improvement and apply the seven abilities needed to fail forward.

Kindly,

Florin