Hugh Molotsi

This article was first published on Lean Startup Labs . “Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” -Morihei Ueshiba “Never be afraid to fail. Failure is only a stepping stone to improvement.” - Tony Jaa “The greatest teacher, failure is.” -Master Yoda With so many quotes from wise leaders telling us how great failure is, you would think the fastest way to rise to the top of the corporate ladder is to fail all the time. But somehow that doesn’t ring true. Failing all the time at your job will probably only put you on the express train to Pink Slip City. So why do we hear so often in corporate settings these days that failure is okay? The well-intended message is: It’s better to try than to do nothing. It’s better to aspire to something  better and learn, even when those aspirations are not met. But the problem with the failure lexicon is that it removes all accountability. Surely it isn’t okay to fail because of incompetence, carelessne...