The other "F" word : how smart leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs put failure to work / John Danner; Mark Coopersmith

Leverage the power of failure in your organization Nobody wants to fail, but failure is a fact of life. Most of us treat it as a regrettable, even shameful, event best overlooked. In truth, failure can be a game-changing strategic resource that can help you and your organization achieve the greater success you crave. The Other "F" Word shows how successful leaders and teams are putting failure to work every day - to re-engage employees, spark innovation and accelerate growth. Authors Danner and Coopersmith - with their rare blend of senior-level executive experience, global advising, teaching acumen and cross-discipline perspective - share these valuable new practices, and show how they can improve results across your organization. Based on exclusive interviews with prominent leaders and insightful examples from their own in-depth work, the book features a practical seven-stage framework to liberate failure as a force to advance your leadership agenda. After all, everyone creates and confronts failure on a daily basis. Why not use it to your advantage? The Other "F" Word shows you how to: * Start an open, productive conversation about failure across your organization * Reduce the fear of failure that stifles initiative, creativity and engagement * Anticipate, prepare for and respond to failure, so you can leverage it when it happens * Harness failure as a catalyst to drive innovation, improve performance and strengthen culture Failure's like gravity pervasive and powerful. Whether you're a leader or team member of a startup, a growing business, or an established enterprise, failure is today's lesson for tomorrow. Let The Other "F" Word show you how to apply this lesson and take your company where it needs to go.

Foreword by Jeffrey Bewkes, Chairman and CEO, Time Warner xv Preface: A Book About a Topic Nobody Wants to Talk About xvii Chapter 1 What s in It for Me? Your Personal Guided Book Tour 1 PART I What: The Facts and Facets of Failure 11 Chapter 2 The Other F Word: Failure Is Such a Loaded Word 13 Chapter 3 The Gravity of Failure and Failure s Gravity 21 Chapter 4 Defining Failure: Mistakes and Unwelcome Outcomes That Matter 27 Chapter 5 Fear and Memory: Failure s Force Multipliers 37 PART II When and Where: How Failure Appears at Different Organizational Phases 47 Chapter 6 Start-Ups: Launching Your Venture in the Land of Failure 49 Your Role: Passionate Convincer Chapter 7 Keep-Ups: Surviving and Thriving After You Meet Payroll 67 Your Role: Confident Juggler Chapter 8 Grown-Ups: Dodging the Oxymoron of Big Company Agility 81 Your Role: Trusted Colleague PART III How: Using the Failure Value Cycle to Advance Your Organization 97 Chapter 9 The Failure Value Cycle: Seven Stages Where You Can Leverage or Flunk Failure 99 Chapter 10 Stage One Respect: Acknowledge the Gravity of Failure 103 Your Role: Straight Talker Chapter 11 Stage Two Rehearse: It s Not Just About Fire Drills 121 Your Role: Tenacious Coach Chapter 12 Stage Three Recognize: Pick Up the Signals of Failure Earlier 131 Your Role: Watchful Monitor Chapter 13 Stage Four React: Deal with It! 143 Your Role: Team Captain Chapter 14 Stage Five Reflect: Turn Failure from a Regret to a Resource 153 Your Role: Inquisitive Student Chapter 15 Stage Six Rebound: Retake the Initiative 165 Your Role: Field General Chapter 16 Stage Seven Remember: Embed Failure Savvy in Your Culture 173 Your Role: Proud Storyteller Chapter 17 The Failure Value Report Card: A Practical Tool to Help You Put Failure to Work 183 PART IV Now: Put the Other F Word to Work 193 Chapter 18 Creating the Failure-Savvy Organization 195 Chapter 19 Escape the Gravity of Failure: Leading the Fallible Organization 209 Afterword by China Gorman, CEO, Great Place to Work Institute 213 Appendix Our Classrooms: Putting Failure to Work in Creating Value 215 Acknowledgments 225 About the Authors 227 Notes 229 Index 249 Presenting The Other F Word Keynote 259.