Reviews
“Amy Edmondson, one of our finest business minds, offers a bold new perspective on human fallibility. With a graceful mix of scientific research and practical advice, she shows how to transform failure from an obstacle to a steppingstone — from a weight that holds up back to a wind that propels us forward. Right Kind of Wrong is guidebook for our times.” — Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Regret and Drive
“No skill in life is more important than learning from failure—and no one on earth knows more about it than Amy Edmondson. Drawing on her eye-opening evidence and rich practical experience, she offers a wealth of insight on how to take intelligent risks and bounce forward after setbacks. If everyone internalized the ideas in this important book, we would all be safer, smarter, and more successful.” — Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential, and host of the TED podcast Re:Thinking
“A masterclass in navigating, and even seeking out, the inevitable failures that pave the way to success. The incomparable Amy Edmondson shows us how to see failures as beginnings rather than endings—and how to create the conditions for failing well. Comprehensive, clear, and full of real-world examples, a must-read for performers and leaders alike.” — Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit
“The noble failure is essential to innovation and growth. But what is the difference between the noble failure, the sloppy mistake, and blameworthy sabotage? How can you make sure you’re creating the conditions for success? Right Kind of Wrong will help you take the kind of risks you have to take in order to succeed in your career and in life.” — Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor and Just Work
“Amy Edmondson’s intelligent, warm and funny Right Kind of Wrong will take you through the landscape of failure – the good ones that we learn from, the stupid ones we wish we could roll back, and the catastrophic ones we would all benefit from collaborating to avoid. It’s packed with examples and stories and lands with some meaningful ideas about how you can cultivate awareness to, indeed, fail well.” — Rita McGrath, bestselling author of The End of Competitive Advantage
“Failing is such an important part of living and leading. Finally, we have the book that will help us learn how to fail well. In it, Amy shares with us very practical tools and advice illustrated by many inspiring, jaw-dropping stories. A breakthrough book that every leader needs to study and begin applying. It will make the world a better place.” — Hubert Joly, Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, former Best Buy Chairman and CEO, and Author, The Heart of Business
“Creating an environment that is safe for solving difficult problems is one of the most important things we can do. With great clarity and insight, Amy shows us how we can make room for failure, recognizing that our emotions and personal needs are part of the solution. Right Kind of Wrong will inspire you to do your boldest work.” — Ed Catmull, bestselling author of Creativity Inc.
“The best book ever written on learning from failure by the researcher who taught millions of us about the power of psychological safety in our workplaces. Right Kind of Wrong is packed with Amy Edmondson’s relentless wisdom and warmth, and above all, proven solutions that will help you build teams and companies where we fallible humans can thrive.” — Robert I. Sutton, New York Times bestselling author of The Friction Project, Scaling Up Excellence, and Good Boss, Bad Boss
“Right Kind of Wrong is the ultimate self-help book: powerful ideas combined with practical tools. My advice is to snap shots of the book’s eight illustrations – each a gem – and tack them up in front of your desk. You will be more effective immediately and on a faster learning curve going forward.” — Roger L. Martin, author of A New Way to Think
“This book is as important as any I, among the most avid of readers, have ever encountered. It’s that simple. No topic is more important than the assessment and understanding of failure. Amy Edmondson has broken entirely new ground; and for those who take the trouble, I no less than guarantee Right Kind of Wrong will be a “game-changer.” The result of serious study and application of this tome will be one of the most important steps in your professional life.” — Tom Peters, bestselling author of In Search of Excellence and Tom Peters Compact Guide to Excellence
In this groundbreaking exploration of failure, Amy C. Edmondson challenges our conventional understanding of mistakes and setbacks. She argues that failure, when approached correctly, can be a powerful catalyst for innovation, growth, and success. Drawing from extensive research and real-world examples, Edmondson reveals how individuals and organizations can harness the potential of failure to drive progress and achieve remarkable outcomes. This book offers a fresh perspective on a topic often shrouded in negativity, providing readers with practical strategies to transform their relationship with failure and unlock their full potential.
Right Kind of Wrong is primarily aimed at business leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs seeking to foster innovation and create high-performing teams. The book’s insights are particularly valuable for those working in fast-paced, high-stakes environments where failure is often seen as catastrophic. However, its principles are broadly applicable, making it accessible to anyone interested in personal growth, creativity, and resilience. Edmondson’s writing style strikes a balance between academic rigor and practical application, ensuring that readers from various backgrounds can grasp and implement her concepts. While some familiarity with business concepts may be helpful, the book’s clear explanations and real-world examples make it approachable for a general audience interested in self-improvement and organizational dynamics.
Failure. It’s a word that often sends shivers down our spines, conjuring images of disappointment, shame, and setbacks. But what if we’ve been looking at failure all wrong? In Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, Amy C. Edmondson challenges our deeply ingrained notions about failure and presents a revolutionary perspective that could transform how we approach challenges, innovation, and personal growth.
Imagine a world where failure isn’t a dead end, but a springboard to success. Edmondson paints this picture vividly, drawing on cutting-edge research and compelling real-world examples to illustrate how embracing failure can lead to breakthrough innovations and remarkable achievements. She argues that our fear of failure often holds us back from taking the risks necessary for genuine progress and learning.
Throughout the book, Edmondson introduces readers to the concept of “intelligent failure” – a type of setback that, when approached with the right mindset, can yield valuable insights and pave the way for future success. She explores how high-performing organizations and individuals have learned to harness the power of failure, using it as a tool for continuous improvement and innovation.
Right Kind of Wrong isn’t just about changing our perspective on failure; it’s a practical guide to implementing a failure-positive culture in various settings. Edmondson provides actionable strategies for leaders to create psychological safety within their teams, encouraging open communication about mistakes and fostering an environment where calculated risks are encouraged.
Readers of this book will learn how to reframe their relationship with failure, developing resilience and adaptability in the face of setbacks. They’ll discover techniques for conducting productive post-mortems on failed projects, extracting valuable lessons without assigning blame. Edmondson also offers insights on how to distinguish between productive failures that lead to growth and unproductive ones that should be avoided, empowering readers to make better decisions in high-stakes situations.
At the heart of Right Kind of Wrong lies a powerful message: failure, when approached with the right mindset and methods, can be a powerful catalyst for innovation, learning, and ultimate success. Edmondson argues that our traditional view of failure as something to be avoided at all costs is not only misguided but potentially harmful to progress and growth.
Edmondson introduces the concept of “intelligent failure” – failures that occur as a result of thoughtful experimentation in new, uncertain territories. These failures, she argues, are not only inevitable but necessary for pushing boundaries and achieving breakthroughs. By reframing failure as a natural part of the innovation process rather than a sign of incompetence, we can create environments that encourage risk-taking and creativity.
Right Kind of Wrong represents a significant contribution to the fields of organizational psychology, leadership, and innovation. By challenging the prevailing negative attitudes towards failure, Edmondson offers a fresh perspective that has the potential to revolutionize how businesses operate and how individuals approach their personal and professional lives.
The book’s impact extends beyond theoretical discourse. Many forward-thinking organizations have already begun to implement Edmondson’s ideas, creating cultures that embrace intelligent failure as a means of driving innovation and maintaining a competitive edge in rapidly changing markets. Companies like Google and Pixar, known for their innovative approaches, have incorporated principles similar to those Edmondson advocates, demonstrating the real-world applicability of her theories.
Edmondson’s work has garnered significant attention in academic and business circles. Her research on psychological safety, which forms a cornerstone of the book’s arguments, has been widely cited and has influenced management practices globally. While some traditionalists may find the idea of embracing failure controversial, the growing body of evidence supporting Edmondson’s theories is hard to ignore.
Right Kind of Wrong has been praised for its potential to transform organizational cultures and individual mindsets. By providing a scientific framework for understanding and leveraging failure, Edmondson offers a roadmap for creating more innovative, resilient, and ultimately successful teams and individuals. The book’s insights are particularly relevant in today’s fast-paced, uncertain business environment, where the ability to adapt and learn from setbacks is more crucial than ever.
Amy C. Edmondson’s Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well offers a compelling and transformative perspective on failure that has the potential to revolutionize how individuals and organizations approach setbacks, risk-taking, and innovation. We find the book’s strengths lie in its robust research foundation, practical applicability, and paradigm-shifting insights into the value of failure as a learning tool.
Edmondson’s work excels in challenging deeply ingrained negative attitudes towards failure, providing readers with a fresh and empowering framework for understanding and leveraging setbacks. The book’s emphasis on creating psychologically safe environments where failure can be openly discussed and learned from is particularly valuable in today’s fast-paced, innovation-driven business landscape.
We appreciate the book’s holistic approach to organizational change, addressing multiple aspects of organizational life from leadership practices to knowledge-sharing systems. This comprehensive perspective provides readers with a complete picture of what it takes to create a failure-positive culture, making it especially valuable for leaders and managers seeking to drive cultural change.
The use of diverse, real-world examples from various industries enhances the book’s impact and relatability, illustrating how the principles of “failing well” can be applied in different contexts. This broad applicability, combined with Edmondson’s engaging writing style, makes the book accessible to a wide audience, from business leaders to educators and policymakers.
However, we also recognize certain limitations in Edmondson’s work. The book could have benefited from a deeper exploration of individual psychological barriers to embracing failure, as well as a more nuanced discussion of situations where the costs of failure might outweigh the potential learning benefits. Additionally, a more extensive cross-cultural perspective and inclusion of long-term case studies would have further strengthened the book’s arguments.
We also note potential blind spots, such as the limited discussion of the role of luck and external factors in success and failure, and the risk of “failure fetishization” in certain organizational contexts. The book could have explored more fully how to apply its principles in highly regulated industries where failure can have severe consequences.
Despite these limitations, we believe that Right Kind of Wrong makes a significant contribution to the field of organizational psychology and management. Its insights have the potential to influence not only business practices but also broader societal attitudes towards failure and success.
Our Recommendation
We wholeheartedly recommend Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well to a wide range of readers, including business leaders, managers, educators, and anyone interested in personal growth and innovation. The book’s fresh perspective on failure and its practical strategies for creating failure-positive cultures make it a valuable resource for those seeking to drive organizational change or improve their own relationship with setbacks and challenges.
For business leaders and managers, we believe this book is essential reading. It provides a roadmap for creating more innovative, resilient, and adaptive organizations by harnessing the learning potential of failure. The practical tools and frameworks offered in the book can be immediately applied to improve team dynamics, decision-making processes, and innovation efforts.
Educators will find valuable insights into how to create learning environments that encourage experimentation and resilience in the face of setbacks. The book’s principles could be transformative in shaping educational approaches that better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world.
For individuals, Right Kind of Wrong offers a potentially life-changing perspective on failure that could lead to greater resilience, creativity, and personal growth. By reframing failure as a valuable learning opportunity rather than a shameful outcome, readers may find themselves more willing to take intelligent risks and pursue challenging goals.
However, we suggest readers complement this book with other works that address some of its limitations. Books on individual psychology and mindset, such as Carol Dweck’s Mindset, could provide valuable additional perspectives on overcoming personal barriers to embracing failure. For those in highly regulated or high-stakes industries, supplementing Edmondson’s work with industry-specific resources on risk management would be beneficial.
In conclusion, while Right Kind of Wrong is not without its limitations, we believe its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. The book’s potential to drive positive change in how individuals and organizations approach failure makes it a crucial read in today’s rapidly changing world. We encourage readers to engage critically with Edmondson’s ideas, considering how they can be applied and adapted to their specific contexts, and to view this book as a starting point for a deeper exploration of how to harness the power of failure for learning and growth.
The essence of Right Kind of Wrong by Amy C. Edmondson revolves around several key concepts that challenge our traditional understanding of failure and its role in personal and organizational success. One of the central ideas is the concept of “intelligent failure,” which Edmondson defines as failures that occur as a result of thoughtful experimentation in new, uncertain territories. This type of failure is not only acceptable but necessary for innovation and progress. Edmondson argues that by reframing our view of failure, we can create environments that foster creativity, learning, and ultimately, breakthrough success.
Another crucial element of the book is the importance of psychological safety in creating a culture that can effectively learn from failure. Edmondson emphasizes that for individuals and teams to take the risks necessary for innovation, they must feel safe to voice ideas, concerns, and admit mistakes without fear of ridicule or punishment. This psychological safety is the foundation upon which a failure-positive culture can be built, allowing organizations to harness the learning potential of setbacks and errors.
Edmondson also introduces the concept of the “failure spectrum,” which helps readers distinguish between different types of failures and their potential value. On one end of the spectrum are preventable failures, which result from lack of attention or poor execution of known processes. On the other end are intelligent failures, which yield valuable information and drive progress. Understanding this spectrum allows leaders and individuals to respond appropriately to different types of failures, maximizing learning and minimizing waste.
The book emphasizes the critical role of leadership in fostering a culture that can effectively learn from failure. Edmondson argues that leaders must model vulnerability, openly discussing their own failures and the lessons learned from them. This openness creates an environment where failure is seen as a natural part of the innovation process rather than a source of shame or blame. Leaders must also work to create systems and processes that capture the lessons from failures, ensuring that the organization can benefit from these experiences.
Edmondson also explores the concept of “small failures” and their importance in preventing larger, catastrophic failures. She argues that by encouraging and paying attention to small failures, organizations can identify potential issues early, make necessary adjustments, and avoid more serious problems down the line. This approach requires a shift from a culture of perfection to one that values continuous learning and improvement.
The book delves into the idea of “failing forward,” which involves not just accepting failure but actively using it as a stepping stone to success. This concept encourages individuals and organizations to view failures as valuable data points that can inform future decision-making and strategy. By reframing failure in this way, Edmondson suggests that we can turn setbacks into opportunities for growth and innovation.
NASA’s Columbia Disaster Edmondson uses the tragic Columbia space shuttle disaster as a powerful example of how organizational culture can impede the ability to learn from small failures. She describes how NASA’s culture of perfection and pressure to maintain launch schedules led to a situation where warning signs were overlooked or dismissed. This case study illustrates the importance of creating an environment where concerns can be voiced and taken seriously, even when they conflict with organizational goals or expectations.
Google’s Project Loon The book discusses Google’s Project Loon, an initiative to provide internet access to remote areas using high-altitude balloons. Edmondson highlights how the project team embraced failure as a learning tool, conducting numerous tests and openly sharing results, both positive and negative. This approach allowed them to rapidly iterate and improve their technology, eventually achieving success in providing internet access to disaster-stricken areas.
Pixar’s Brain Trust Edmondson explores Pixar Animation Studios’ “Brain Trust” meetings as an example of how to create a psychologically safe environment for constructive criticism. These meetings, where directors present their unfinished work for feedback from peers, exemplify how open discussion of problems and potential failures can lead to dramatic improvements in the final product. The case study demonstrates how fostering an environment where failure is seen as part of the creative process can lead to consistent innovation and success.
Intuit’s “Failure Parties” The book describes Intuit’s practice of holding “failure parties” to celebrate projects that didn’t succeed but provided valuable learning experiences. This case study illustrates how organizations can shift their culture to not only accept failure but to actively recognize its value in the innovation process. By celebrating failures, Intuit reinforces the idea that taking risks and learning from setbacks is crucial for long-term success.
Toyota’s Andon Cord System Edmondson uses Toyota’s famous Andon cord system as an example of how organizations can empower employees to flag potential issues before they become major problems. The system allows any worker to stop the production line if they notice a quality issue, emphasizing the importance of addressing small failures to prevent larger ones. This case study demonstrates how creating systems that encourage the identification and discussion of failures can lead to improved quality and efficiency.
IDEO’s Prototyping Process The book examines IDEO, the renowned design firm, and its approach to rapid prototyping and iteration. Edmondson describes how IDEO embraces “enlightened trial and error” as a core part of their design process, creating multiple prototypes and learning from each iteration. This case study shows how intentionally designing for failure can lead to more innovative and effective solutions, as each “failure” provides valuable insights that inform the next iteration.
Redefine Failure as a Learning Opportunity
One of the key insights from Edmondson’s book is the importance of redefining failure as a valuable learning opportunity rather than a catastrophic event. To apply this insight, start by consciously shifting your language around failure. Instead of using words like “mistake” or “error,” try framing setbacks as “experiments” or “learning experiences.” When faced with a failure, ask yourself and your team, “What can we learn from this?” and “How can we use this information to improve?” Implement a regular practice of conducting “after-action reviews” following both successes and failures, focusing on extracting lessons and identifying areas for improvement. By consistently treating failures as data points rather than disasters, you can create a culture that values experimentation and continuous learning.
Foster Psychological Safety
Edmondson emphasizes the critical role of psychological safety in creating an environment where people feel comfortable taking risks and discussing failures openly. To foster psychological safety in your team or organization, start by modeling vulnerability as a leader. Share your own failures and the lessons you’ve learned from them. Encourage open dialogue by actively soliciting input from all team members and demonstrating that you value diverse perspectives. Implement a “no-blame” policy when discussing setbacks, focusing on understanding root causes rather than finding scapegoats. Create structured opportunities for team members to share concerns or ideas without fear of repercussion, such as regular “open forum” meetings or anonymous suggestion systems. Remember that building psychological safety takes time and consistent effort, so be patient and persistent in your approach.
Differentiate Between Types of Failure
Understanding the different types of failure is crucial for responding appropriately and maximizing learning. Edmondson introduces the concept of the “failure spectrum,” ranging from preventable failures to intelligent failures. To apply this insight, develop a framework for categorizing failures in your organization. Create clear definitions for different types of failures, such as “preventable failures” (those resulting from lack of attention or poor execution), “complex failures” (those occurring in unpredictable environments), and “intelligent failures” (those resulting from thoughtful experimentation). Train your team to use this framework when analyzing setbacks. For preventable failures, focus on improving processes and training. For complex failures, emphasize learning and adaptation. For intelligent failures, celebrate the learning gained and use it to inform future experiments. By differentiating between types of failure, you can tailor your response and extract maximum value from each experience.
Implement Small Failures to Prevent Big Ones
Edmondson argues that encouraging and paying attention to small failures can help prevent larger, catastrophic ones. To put this insight into practice, create systems that actively seek out and learn from small failures. Implement regular “pre-mortem” exercises where teams imagine potential failures before starting a project and brainstorm ways to prevent or mitigate them. Encourage employees to report “near misses” or small issues without fear of punishment. Develop a system for tracking and analyzing these minor incidents to identify patterns or systemic issues. Consider implementing a version of Toyota’s Andon cord system, where any employee can “stop the line” if they notice a potential problem. By creating a culture that values and learns from small failures, you can catch and address issues before they escalate into major problems.
Fail Forward with Intentional Experimentation
The concept of “failing forward” involves using failure as a stepping stone to success through intentional experimentation. To apply this insight, incorporate structured experimentation into your work processes. Develop a framework for designing and conducting experiments, including clear hypotheses, measurable outcomes, and predetermined criteria for success or failure. Encourage teams to run multiple small experiments simultaneously rather than betting everything on a single large project. Implement regular “experiment review” sessions where teams share the results of their experiments, both successful and unsuccessful, and discuss lessons learned. Create a system for documenting and sharing these learnings across the organization to prevent the same mistakes from being repeated and to build on successful approaches.
Celebrate Failure as Part of the Innovation Process
Edmondson emphasizes the importance of celebrating failure as an essential part of the innovation process. To implement this insight, create formal recognition for teams and individuals who take intelligent risks, even if they don’t succeed. Implement “failure parties” similar to those held at Intuit, where teams present learnings from unsuccessful projects. Include “lessons learned from failure” as a category in your employee recognition program. When discussing company successes, always highlight the failures and setbacks that were part of the journey. By actively celebrating failure, you reinforce the message that taking risks and learning from setbacks is valued and essential for innovation.
Develop Failure-Tolerant Leadership
Leaders play a crucial role in creating a culture that can effectively learn from failure. To develop failure-tolerant leadership, start by examining your own reactions to failure. Practice responding to setbacks with curiosity rather than anger or disappointment. When a team member reports a failure, respond with questions like “What did we learn?” and “How can we use this information?” rather than “Who’s responsible?” Provide resources and support for teams to conduct thorough post-mortems on failed projects. Encourage calculated risk-taking by setting aside resources specifically for experimental projects. Regularly communicate the value of intelligent failure in your organizational messaging. Remember that your actions as a leader set the tone for how failure is perceived and handled throughout the organization.
Create Systems to Capture and Share Lessons from Failure
To fully benefit from failure, it’s essential to have systems in place to capture and share the lessons learned. Implement a centralized “failure database” where teams can document the details of failed projects or experiments, including what went wrong, why it happened, and what was learned. Develop a standardized format for “failure reports” to ensure consistency in how information is captured. Create regular forums, such as monthly “failure learning sessions,” where teams can present their failure stories and the resulting insights. Incorporate lessons from failures into your onboarding and training programs to ensure that new employees benefit from the organization’s collective learning. By systematically capturing and sharing lessons from failure, you can turn individual setbacks into organizational knowledge and prevent the same mistakes from being repeated.
Paradigm-Shifting Perspective on Failure
Amy C. Edmondson’s Right Kind of Wrong offers a truly transformative view of failure that challenges deeply ingrained societal and organizational norms. By reframing failure as a valuable tool for learning and innovation rather than a shameful outcome to be avoided at all costs, Edmondson provides readers with a fresh and empowering perspective. This shift in mindset has the potential to revolutionize how individuals and organizations approach risk-taking, experimentation, and ultimately, success. The book’s strength lies in its ability to challenge readers’ preconceptions and offer a new, more productive way of thinking about setbacks and mistakes.
Robust Research Foundation
One of the most compelling aspects of Right Kind of Wrong is its strong grounding in rigorous academic research. Edmondson draws on decades of studies in organizational psychology, management science, and related fields to support her arguments. Her extensive use of empirical evidence lends credibility to her assertions and provides readers with a solid foundation for understanding the science behind “failing well.” The book doesn’t just rely on anecdotal evidence or personal opinion; instead, it presents a well-researched, data-driven approach to understanding and leveraging failure in various contexts.
Practical Applicability
While Right Kind of Wrong is firmly rooted in academic research, it excels in translating complex concepts into practical, actionable strategies. Edmondson provides numerous tools, frameworks, and techniques that readers can immediately apply in their personal and professional lives. From the “failure spectrum” that helps categorize different types of failures to strategies for fostering psychological safety in teams, the book offers concrete steps for implementing its insights. This focus on practical application makes the book valuable not just as a theoretical exploration of failure, but as a guidebook for creating real change in how individuals and organizations approach setbacks and mistakes.
Compelling Real-World Examples
Edmondson’s use of diverse, real-world examples significantly enhances the book’s impact and relatability. By drawing on case studies from a wide range of industries and organizations – from NASA to Google to small startups – she illustrates how the principles of “failing well” can be applied in various contexts. These examples bring the book’s concepts to life, showing readers how other individuals and organizations have successfully implemented the ideas she proposes. The diversity of examples also demonstrates the universal applicability of the book’s insights, making it relevant to readers from different backgrounds and industries.
Holistic Approach to Organizational Change
Right Kind of Wrong stands out for its comprehensive approach to creating a failure-positive culture. Edmondson recognizes that changing attitudes towards failure requires more than just individual mindset shifts; it necessitates systemic changes at the organizational level. The book addresses multiple aspects of organizational life, from leadership practices and team dynamics to systems for capturing and sharing knowledge. This holistic approach provides readers with a complete picture of what it takes to create an environment where failure can be leveraged for success, making the book particularly valuable for leaders and managers seeking to drive cultural change.
Engaging Writing Style
Despite dealing with complex concepts and academic research, Edmondson’s writing style is remarkably accessible and engaging. She strikes a balance between scholarly rigor and readability, making the book approachable for a wide audience. Her use of storytelling, analogies, and clear explanations helps to demystify complex ideas and keep readers engaged throughout the book. This accessibility is crucial given the potentially paradigm-shifting nature of the book’s content, as it ensures that these important ideas can reach and impact a broad readership.
Limited Discussion of Individual Psychological Barriers
While Right Kind of Wrong excels in addressing organizational and cultural barriers to embracing failure, it could have delved deeper into the individual psychological obstacles that people face when trying to change their relationship with failure. Many individuals have deeply ingrained negative associations with failure, often stemming from childhood experiences or societal pressures. The book could have benefited from a more thorough exploration of these personal psychological barriers and strategies for overcoming them. This additional focus would have provided readers with more tools for personal growth and self-reflection, complementing the book’s strong organizational focus.
Potential Overemphasis on Positive Aspects of Failure
In its enthusiasm for reframing failure as a positive force, the book may at times underplay the very real negative consequences that can come from certain types of failures. While Edmondson does discuss different types of failures, including preventable ones, there could have been more emphasis on situations where failure should indeed be avoided or where the costs of failure might outweigh the potential learning benefits. A more balanced discussion of when to embrace failure and when to strive for error-free performance could have provided readers with a more nuanced understanding of how to apply the book’s principles in different contexts.
Limited Cross-Cultural Perspective
While Right Kind of Wrong draws on examples from various industries and organizations, it could have benefited from a more extensive exploration of how attitudes towards failure differ across cultures. The book’s principles are largely rooted in Western, particularly American, business culture. A more in-depth examination of how failure is perceived and handled in other cultural contexts, such as in Asian or African societies, would have enriched the book’s perspective and made its insights more globally applicable. This cross-cultural analysis could have provided valuable insights into how to implement failure-positive practices in diverse, multinational organizations.
Lack of Long-Term Case Studies
While the book provides numerous examples of organizations implementing failure-positive practices, it could have included more long-term case studies showing the sustained impact of these approaches over time. Many of the examples focus on specific initiatives or short-term outcomes. Including more longitudinal studies would have strengthened the book’s arguments by demonstrating the long-term benefits of embracing failure and addressing potential challenges that arise when maintaining these practices over extended periods. This additional evidence would have been particularly valuable for leaders considering significant cultural changes in their organizations.
Overlooking the Role of Luck and External Factors
One potential blind spot in Right Kind of Wrong is the limited discussion of the role of luck and external factors in success and failure. While Edmondson rightly emphasizes the importance of learning from failure and fostering a culture that embraces intelligent risk-taking, there’s a risk of overattributing outcomes solely to internal factors. In reality, success and failure are often influenced by complex, interconnected external factors beyond an individual’s or organization’s control. This oversight could lead readers to misinterpret the causes of failure or success, potentially leading to incorrect lessons being drawn. A more nuanced discussion of how to differentiate between failures due to controllable factors versus those resulting from external circumstances would have enhanced the book’s practical applicability. Books like The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business, Sports, and Investing by Michael J. Mauboussin and Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets by Nassim Nicholas Taleb offer complementary perspectives on the role of chance and external factors in outcomes, which could provide readers with a more balanced view when combined with Edmondson’s insights.
Potential for Failure Fetishization
While Right Kind of Wrong does an excellent job of reframing failure as a learning opportunity, there’s a potential blind spot in not addressing the risk of “failure fetishization.” In some organizations, particularly in the tech startup world, there’s a danger of glorifying failure to the point where it becomes an end in itself rather than a means to learning and improvement. This can lead to a culture where failures are celebrated without sufficient critical analysis or where unnecessary risks are taken under the guise of “embracing failure.” Edmondson could have explored this potential pitfall more deeply, providing guidance on how to strike a balance between learning from failure and maintaining a focus on success and positive outcomes. Books like The Lean Startup by Eric Ries and Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes–But Some Do by Matthew Syed offer complementary perspectives on how to learn from failure within a framework of continuous improvement and success-oriented thinking.
Challenges of Implementing in Highly Regulated Industries
Another blind spot in Right Kind of Wrong is the limited discussion of how to apply its principles in highly regulated industries where failure can have severe consequences. While the book touches on examples from industries like healthcare and aerospace, it could have delved deeper into the unique challenges faced by organizations in fields such as nuclear power, financial services, or pharmaceuticals. In these industries, the cost of failure can be extremely high, both in terms of human lives and financial repercussions. The book could have explored more fully how to balance the need for learning and innovation with stringent safety and compliance requirements. Providing more specific strategies for these high-stakes environments would have made the book’s insights more universally applicable. Works like Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies by Charles Perrow and Managing the Unexpected: Resilient Performance in an Age of Uncertainty by Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe offer valuable perspectives on managing risk and failure in high-reliability organizations, which could complement Edmondson’s approach.
Underexploration of Failure’s Emotional Toll
While Right Kind of Wrong effectively presents the cognitive and organizational benefits of embracing failure, it may underexplore the emotional toll that repeated failures can take on individuals and teams. Even in a culture that intellectually values failure as a learning opportunity, the emotional impact of setbacks can be significant. This blind spot could lead readers to underestimate the importance of emotional resilience and support systems when implementing a failure-positive culture. The book could have benefited from a deeper exploration of strategies for maintaining morale and motivation in the face of repeated setbacks, as well as techniques for leaders to provide emotional support to team members dealing with failure. Books like Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David and Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth offer valuable insights into building emotional resilience and perseverance, which could provide a useful complement to Edmondson’s more organizationally focused approach.
Limited Discussion of Failure in Creative Fields
One area where Right Kind of Wrong could have expanded its scope is in discussing failure in creative and artistic fields. While the book primarily focuses on failure in business and organizational contexts, the creative process often involves numerous iterations, experiments, and failures before achieving success. The dynamics of failure and learning in creative pursuits can be quite different from those in more structured business environments. Exploring how artists, writers, musicians, and other creatives deal with failure and use it as a tool for growth and innovation could have provided valuable insights applicable to a wider range of fields. Moreover, examining how creative industries balance the need for experimentation and risk-taking with commercial pressures could have offered interesting parallels to business environments. Books like The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp and Art & Fear: Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland provide deep dives into the role of failure and perseverance in the creative process, offering perspectives that could enrich Edmondson’s framework when applied to creative fields.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries shares some common ground with Edmondson’s Right Kind of Wrong in its approach to failure and learning. Both books emphasize the importance of experimentation and learning from failures. However, while Edmondson focuses on creating a broader organizational culture that embraces failure, Ries provides a more structured methodology specifically for startups and product development. Ries introduces concepts like the “Build-Measure-Learn” feedback loop and “Minimum Viable Product” (MVP) as practical tools for rapid experimentation and learning. These concepts offer a more prescriptive approach to failing fast and learning quickly, which complements Edmondson’s broader cultural perspective. Where Right Kind of Wrong excels in providing a comprehensive framework for understanding and leveraging failure across various organizational contexts, The Lean Startup offers a more targeted, actionable methodology for product development and business model innovation. Ries’s book also places a stronger emphasis on quantitative measurement and validation, which could be seen as a valuable addition to Edmondson’s more qualitative approach to learning from failure.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
Carol S. Dweck’s Mindset provides an interesting counterpoint to Edmondson’s work. While both books deal with attitudes towards failure, they approach the topic from different angles. Dweck’s book focuses on the individual psychology of success and failure, introducing the concepts of “fixed” and “growth” mindsets. Her work explores how people’s beliefs about their own abilities influence their response to failure and their potential for growth. In contrast, Edmondson’s book takes a more organizational and systemic approach to failure. Where Dweck emphasizes individual mindset shifts, Edmondson focuses on creating organizational cultures and systems that support learning from failure. Combining insights from both books could provide a more comprehensive approach to embracing failure, addressing both individual psychology and organizational culture. Dweck’s work could be seen as providing the psychological foundation that would enable individuals to thrive in the failure-positive cultures Edmondson advocates for.
Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes–But Some Do by Matthew Syed
Matthew Syed’s Black Box Thinking shares many similarities with Edmondson’s Right Kind of Wrong in its central thesis that failure, when approached correctly, can be a powerful tool for learning and improvement. Both books draw on examples from various industries to illustrate their points. However, Syed’s book places a stronger emphasis on the cognitive biases and psychological barriers that prevent individuals and organizations from learning from failures. He delves deeper into the neuroscience of failure and learning, providing a more detailed exploration of why humans often struggle to acknowledge and learn from mistakes. While Edmondson focuses more on creating organizational systems and cultures that support learning from failure, Syed offers more insight into the cognitive processes that need to be overcome to achieve this. Black Box Thinking also provides a more in-depth exploration of how different industries approach failure, with a particular focus on the aviation industry’s highly developed systems for learning from mistakes. This industry-specific deep dive complements Edmondson’s broader, more generally applicable approach.
Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success by John C. Maxwell
John C. Maxwell’s Failing Forward approaches the topic of failure from a more personal development and leadership perspective, in contrast to Edmondson’s organizational focus. While both books aim to reframe failure as a positive force, Maxwell’s work is more oriented towards individual growth and overcoming personal setbacks. He provides strategies for developing resilience and maintaining a positive attitude in the face of failure, which could be seen as complementary to Edmondson’s more systemic approach. Where Right Kind of Wrong excels in providing a framework for creating failure-positive organizational cultures, Failing Forward offers more guidance on the personal mindset shifts and emotional resilience required to embrace failure as a learning opportunity. Maxwell’s book also includes more personal anecdotes and stories of individual triumphs over failure, which might resonate with readers looking for inspirational examples of overcoming setbacks.
The Wisdom of Failure: How to Learn the Tough Leadership Lessons Without Paying the Price by Laurence G. Weinzimmer and Jim McConoughey
Weinzimmer and McConoughey’s The Wisdom of Failure shares Edmondson’s interest in learning from failure but takes a different approach. While Right Kind of Wrong focuses on creating cultures and systems that can learn from failure in real-time, The Wisdom of Failure is more concerned with learning from others’ past failures. The book presents a taxonomy of leadership failures and aims to help readers avoid common pitfalls by learning from others’ mistakes. This approach contrasts with Edmondson’s emphasis on embracing and learning from one’s own failures. Where Edmondson advocates for creating safe spaces for experimentation and failure, Weinzimmer and McConoughey’s work could be seen as offering a complementary strategy of learning vicariously from others’ experiences. Their book also places a stronger emphasis on leadership-specific failures, which could provide valuable additional insights for readers in leadership positions looking to apply Edmondson’s principles.
Create a Psychologically Safe Environment
Implementing Edmondson’s concept of psychological safety is crucial for businesses looking to foster a culture that learns from failure. This involves creating an environment where team members feel comfortable taking risks, sharing ideas, and admitting mistakes without fear of ridicule or punishment. Leaders should encourage open dialogue, actively solicit input from all team members, and demonstrate that diverse perspectives are valued. This can be achieved through regular team meetings where failures are discussed openly, anonymous feedback systems, and leadership behaviors that model vulnerability and openness to learning.
However, creating psychological safety can be challenging, especially in organizations with a history of punitive responses to failure or highly competitive cultures. Employees may be skeptical of sudden changes in leadership approach and hesitant to share their failures or concerns. Additionally, some team members may interpret psychological safety as a lack of accountability, potentially leading to complacency or reckless risk-taking.
To overcome these challenges, organizations should implement a gradual, consistent approach to building psychological safety. Start with small, low-stakes opportunities for sharing and learning from failures, such as “failure of the week” discussions in team meetings. Provide training for leaders and employees on the principles of psychological safety and its benefits. Establish clear guidelines that distinguish between psychologically safe environments and accountability, emphasizing that the goal is learning and improvement, not avoiding consequences altogether. Regularly assess and reinforce psychological safety through anonymous surveys and one-on-one check-ins.
Implement a Failure Analysis System
Businesses should establish a systematic approach to analyzing and learning from failures, similar to Edmondson’s concept of the “failure spectrum.” This involves creating a structured process for documenting, categorizing, and extracting lessons from various types of failures across the organization. Develop a centralized “failure database” where teams can record details of failed projects or experiments, including what went wrong, why it happened, and what was learned. Implement regular “failure review” sessions where teams present their failures and the resulting insights to the broader organization.
Implementing such a system can face resistance due to fears of increased bureaucracy or concerns about how the information might be used. Employees may be hesitant to document their failures if they believe it could negatively impact their performance evaluations or career prospects. There may also be challenges in consistently categorizing and analyzing failures across different departments or projects.
To address these concerns, emphasize the learning and improvement aspects of the failure analysis system rather than using it as a tool for evaluation or punishment. Provide clear guidelines on how the information will be used and who will have access to it. Implement a policy that protects individuals who contribute to the failure database from negative consequences related to the failures they report. Create cross-functional teams to develop and refine the failure categorization system, ensuring it’s applicable and valuable across different areas of the organization. Regularly showcase how insights from the failure analysis system have led to improvements or innovations to demonstrate its value.
Develop Failure-Tolerant Leadership
Organizations should focus on developing leaders who can effectively manage and learn from failure. This involves training leaders to respond to setbacks with curiosity rather than blame, to encourage calculated risk-taking, and to create an environment where failure is seen as a necessary part of innovation and growth. Leaders should be equipped to conduct effective post-mortems on failed projects, extracting valuable lessons without assigning blame.
However, developing failure-tolerant leadership can be challenging, especially in organizations with a long history of punitive leadership styles or in industries where failure can have severe consequences. Leaders may struggle to balance the need for accountability with creating a failure-positive culture. There may also be resistance from stakeholders who equate failure tolerance with lowered standards or decreased performance.
To overcome these challenges, organizations should invest in comprehensive leadership development programs that focus on failure tolerance and learning-oriented leadership. These programs should include practical exercises and role-playing scenarios to help leaders practice responding constructively to failures. Implement mentoring programs where leaders experienced in failure-tolerant approaches can guide others. Revise performance evaluation criteria for leaders to include metrics related to fostering innovation, encouraging appropriate risk-taking, and effectively learning from failures. Regularly communicate the link between failure tolerance and long-term organizational success to all stakeholders, using concrete examples and data to support this connection.
Establish an Experimentation Culture
Businesses should create formal structures and processes that encourage and support experimentation. This could involve setting aside resources specifically for experimental projects, establishing “innovation labs” or “skunkworks” teams, and implementing rapid prototyping and testing processes. The goal is to create an environment where new ideas can be quickly and safely tested, with failures viewed as valuable data points rather than setbacks.
Implementing an experimentation culture can be challenging due to resource constraints, risk aversion, and pressure for short-term results. There may be resistance from stakeholders who view experimentation as a luxury rather than a necessity. Additionally, there can be difficulties in balancing experimentation with ongoing operational needs and maintaining quality standards.
To address these challenges, start by clearly linking experimentation to strategic business goals, demonstrating how it contributes to long-term success and competitiveness. Implement a structured approach to experimentation, such as the “Build-Measure-Learn” cycle from the Lean Startup methodology, to ensure that experiments are purposeful and generate actionable insights. Create cross-functional teams dedicated to managing and supporting experimentation across the organization. Develop clear criteria for what constitutes a “good” failure in the context of experimentation, emphasizing learning and iterative improvement. Regularly showcase successful innovations that emerged from failed experiments to build organizational support for the approach.
Redesign Reward and Recognition Systems
Organizations should revise their reward and recognition systems to align with a failure-positive culture. This could involve creating awards for “best failure” or “most valuable lesson learned,” incorporating failure stories into employee recognition programs, and adjusting performance evaluation criteria to include metrics related to learning, adaptability, and intelligent risk-taking.
Redesigning reward systems can be challenging due to ingrained cultural norms that equate success with flawless execution. There may be concerns about how to fairly evaluate and reward failures without incentivizing unnecessary risk-taking or poor performance. Additionally, there could be resistance from high performers who have thrived under the existing reward system.
To overcome these challenges, involve employees from all levels of the organization in redesigning the reward and recognition systems. This can help ensure buy-in and address concerns from various perspectives. Clearly communicate the rationale behind the changes, emphasizing how they support long-term organizational success. Implement the new system gradually, starting with pilot programs in specific departments or teams. Provide training for managers on how to evaluate and reward learning-oriented behaviors and intelligent risk-taking. Regularly review and refine the system based on feedback and outcomes, making adjustments as needed to maintain a balance between encouraging intelligent failure and maintaining high performance standards.
Develop Cross-Functional Learning Systems
Businesses should create mechanisms for sharing lessons learned from failures across different departments and teams. This could involve implementing regular “failure forums” where teams from various parts of the organization share their experiences and insights, creating a centralized knowledge base of failure lessons, or establishing cross-functional “learning teams” responsible for disseminating insights throughout the organization.
Implementing cross-functional learning systems can be challenging due to silos within the organization, differences in jargon or working methods between departments, and potential reluctance to share failures with other teams. There may also be logistical challenges in coordinating sharing sessions across different time zones or locations for global organizations.
To address these challenges, start by creating a common language and framework for discussing and analyzing failures across the organization. This could involve developing a standardized “failure report” template that all teams use. Leverage technology to facilitate knowledge sharing, such as implementing an easily searchable internal database of failure lessons or using collaboration tools for virtual failure forums. Assign “knowledge brokers” within each department who are responsible for sharing relevant lessons with other teams and translating insights into context-specific actionable steps. Incorporate cross-functional learning into existing processes, such as including a “lessons from other departments” section in project kickoff meetings. Regularly highlight examples of how cross-functional learning has led to improvements or innovations to reinforce its value.
Rise of Agile and Lean Methodologies
The principles outlined in Right Kind of Wrong align closely with the growing adoption of Agile and Lean methodologies across various industries. These approaches emphasize iterative development, rapid experimentation, and continuous learning – all of which require a tolerance for and ability to learn from failure. As more organizations move away from traditional, linear project management approaches, Edmondson’s insights on creating psychologically safe environments where failure is viewed as a learning opportunity become increasingly relevant. In the future, we can expect to see a greater integration of failure-positive practices into Agile and Lean frameworks, with sprint retrospectives and continuous improvement processes explicitly incorporating techniques for analyzing and learning from failures.
Increasing Focus on Innovation and Disruption
In an era of rapid technological advancement and market disruption, the ability to innovate quickly and effectively is becoming a key differentiator for businesses. Edmondson’s ideas about embracing intelligent failure as a necessary part of the innovation process are likely to gain more traction as organizations strive to stay competitive. We may see the emergence of more formalized “innovation labs” or “failure-safe zones” within companies, where employees are explicitly encouraged to take risks and learn from failures. The concept of “failing fast” is likely to evolve beyond a buzzword to become a core operational principle for many organizations, supported by sophisticated systems for rapid experimentation and learning.
Evolution of Leadership Development
As the business world increasingly recognizes the importance of creating failure-tolerant cultures, we can expect to see significant changes in leadership development programs. Future leadership training is likely to place a greater emphasis on skills such as facilitating psychological safety, conducting effective post-mortems on failed projects, and fostering a learning-oriented approach to setbacks. We may see the emergence of new leadership roles specifically focused on cultivating organizational resilience and learning capacity. Additionally, the ability to effectively manage and learn from failure may become a key criterion in leadership selection and succession planning processes.
Integration of AI and Machine Learning in Failure Analysis
As artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies continue to advance, we can anticipate their integration into the processes of analyzing and learning from failure. AI systems could be developed to identify patterns in failure data across an organization, predict potential failure points, and suggest interventions based on past learnings. Machine learning algorithms might be employed to categorize failures more accurately according to Edmondson’s “failure spectrum,” helping organizations to respond more appropriately to different types of setbacks. These technologies could also facilitate more efficient knowledge sharing about failures and lessons learned across large, complex organizations.
Shift in Educational Paradigms
The ideas presented in Right Kind of Wrong have significant implications for the future of education. As the importance of failure tolerance and learning agility in the workplace becomes more recognized, educational institutions may begin to incorporate these concepts into their curricula. We might see a shift away from traditional grading systems towards more holistic assessments that value experimentation, reflection, and learning from mistakes. Project-based learning approaches that allow students to experience and learn from failure in safe, supportive environments could become more prevalent. Additionally, teaching students how to analyze failures, extract lessons, and apply those lessons to future endeavors may become a core part of educational programs at all levels.
Emergence of Failure Management as a Distinct Discipline
As organizations increasingly recognize the strategic importance of effectively managing and learning from failure, we may see the emergence of “failure management” as a distinct professional discipline. This could involve the development of specialized roles such as “Chief Learning Officer” or “Failure Analysis Specialist,” dedicated to implementing and overseeing systems for learning from setbacks across an organization. We might also see the creation of professional certifications or academic programs focused on failure management, incorporating insights from fields such as psychology, organizational behavior, and data science. Consultancies specializing in helping organizations implement failure-positive cultures and practices may proliferate, further establishing failure management as a crucial aspect of organizational strategy and operations.
Right Kind of Wrong has the potential to significantly influence organizational culture and management practices across various industries. By challenging deeply ingrained negative attitudes towards failure, Edmondson’s work could contribute to a broader shift in how society views failure and success. This shift could have far-reaching implications for education, innovation, and personal development.
In education, Edmondson’s ideas could inspire a move away from punitive approaches to failure towards more supportive, learning-oriented models. This could lead to educational systems that better prepare students for the complexities and uncertainties of the modern world, fostering resilience and adaptability.
In the business world, widespread adoption of Edmondson’s principles could lead to more innovative and adaptable organizations. By creating cultures where intelligent risk-taking is encouraged and failure is seen as a valuable learning opportunity, companies might be better equipped to navigate rapidly changing markets and technologies. This could potentially accelerate the pace of innovation across various sectors.
On a societal level, a more nuanced understanding of failure could contribute to reduced stigma around professional and personal setbacks. This could lead to increased psychological well-being and resilience in the face of life’s inevitable challenges.
In the long term, Edmondson’s work could contribute to a cultural shift where failure is not seen as the opposite of success, but as an integral part of the journey towards it. This could have profound implications for how individuals approach their careers, personal growth, and life challenges.
In the realm of public policy, Edmondson’s insights could influence how governments approach innovation and risk-taking in areas such as scientific research, urban planning, and social programs. By embracing intelligent failure as a necessary part of progress, policymakers might be more willing to support bold, experimental initiatives that have the potential for significant positive impact.
However, it’s important to note that the widespread adoption of Edmondson’s ideas would likely face significant challenges. Deeply ingrained cultural attitudes towards failure, especially in high-stakes environments, may be slow to change.
Moreover, there’s a risk that some might misinterpret or misapply the concept of “failing well,” potentially leading to reckless risk-taking or a lack of accountability. Therefore, the long-term impact of Right Kind of Wrong will likely depend on how effectively its ideas are implemented and balanced against other important considerations in various contexts.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
Mindset provides an excellent companion to Edmondson’s work by focusing on the individual psychology underlying attitudes towards failure and success. While Edmondson emphasizes organizational culture and systems, Dweck’s research on fixed and growth mindsets offers insights into the personal beliefs that shape how individuals approach challenges and setbacks. Her work explains why some people shy away from difficult tasks for fear of failure, while others eagerly embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Understanding these mindset differences can help leaders implement Edmondson’s ideas more effectively by addressing the individual psychological barriers that may hinder the creation of a failure-positive culture.
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
The Lean Startup complements Right Kind of Wrong by providing a structured methodology for implementing many of Edmondson’s ideas in a startup or product development context. Ries’s concept of the “Build-Measure-Learn” feedback loop offers a practical framework for rapid experimentation and learning from failure. His emphasis on the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) as a tool for testing business hypotheses aligns well with Edmondson’s advocacy for intelligent risk-taking and learning from small failures. Readers interested in applying Edmondson’s principles specifically to entrepreneurship or product innovation will find Ries’s work particularly valuable.
Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes–But Some Do by Matthew Syed
Syed’s Black Box Thinking offers a complementary perspective to Edmondson’s work by delving deeper into the cognitive and systemic barriers that prevent learning from failure. While Edmondson focuses more on creating organizational cultures that embrace failure, Syed provides a detailed exploration of why humans often struggle to acknowledge and learn from mistakes. His analysis of how different industries approach failure, with a particular focus on aviation safety, offers valuable insights into how organizations can systematically learn from failures. Readers looking to understand the psychological and cognitive aspects of failure avoidance will find Syed’s work enlightening.
Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success by John C. Maxwell
Maxwell’s Failing Forward approaches the topic of failure from a personal development and leadership perspective, making it a valuable complement to Edmondson’s more organizationally focused work. While Edmondson provides strategies for creating failure-tolerant cultures, Maxwell offers guidance on developing the personal resilience and mindset needed to persist in the face of setbacks. His emphasis on reframing failure as a stepping stone to success aligns well with Edmondson’s ideas, but with a greater focus on individual growth. Leaders looking to develop their own failure tolerance alongside implementing organizational changes will find Maxwell’s insights particularly useful.
The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson
While not a direct complement to Right Kind of Wrong, Edmondson’s earlier work The Fearless Organization provides a deeper dive into the concept of psychological safety, which is a crucial foundation for creating the failure-positive cultures she advocates for in Right Kind of Wrong. This book offers more detailed strategies for creating environments where people feel safe to take risks, voice concerns, and learn from failures. Readers looking to more fully understand and implement the psychological safety aspect of Edmondson’s approach will find this book invaluable.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
Creativity, Inc. offers a real-world case study of many of the principles Edmondson advocates for in Right Kind of Wrong. Catmull, co-founder of Pixar, shares insights into how the animation studio built a culture that embraces failure as part of the creative process. His description of Pixar’s “Braintrust” meetings provides a concrete example of how to create psychologically safe spaces for constructive criticism and learning from failures. This book is particularly valuable for readers interested in seeing how failure-positive cultures can drive innovation and creativity in practice.
The Wisdom of Failure: How to Learn the Tough Leadership Lessons Without Paying the Price by Laurence G. Weinzimmer and Jim McConoughey
Weinzimmer and McConoughey’s The Wisdom of Failure offers a different approach to learning from failure that complements Edmondson’s work. While Edmondson focuses on creating cultures that can learn from real-time failures, The Wisdom of Failure provides a taxonomy of common leadership failures and strategies for avoiding them. This book can help readers apply Edmondson’s principles by providing a framework for identifying potential failure points and learning from others’ mistakes. It’s particularly useful for leaders looking to balance Edmondson’s advocacy for intelligent risk-taking with pragmatic risk management.
Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Taleb’s Antifragile provides a broader philosophical context for many of the ideas Edmondson presents in Right Kind of Wrong. While Edmondson focuses on learning from failure in organizational settings, Taleb explores how systems can be designed to actually benefit from volatility, randomness, and failure. His concept of “antifragility” – the property of systems that grow stronger when exposed to stressors – offers a compelling framework for thinking about how organizations and individuals can do more than just recover from failures, but actually use them as opportunities for growth. Readers interested in exploring the deeper implications of embracing failure will find Taleb’s work thought-provoking and challenging.
Harvard Business Review Harvard Business Review (https://hbr.org/) frequently publishes articles on organizational learning, innovation, and leadership, many of which touch on themes related to learning from failure. Amy C. Edmondson herself has contributed several articles to HBR, making it an excellent resource for readers looking to deepen their understanding of her work and related concepts. The website offers a mix of free and paid content, including articles, case studies, and webinars that can provide practical insights into implementing failure-positive practices in various organizational contexts.
Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP) The Stanford Technology Ventures Program (https://stvp.stanford.edu/) is an entrepreneurship center at Stanford University’s School of Engineering. Their website offers a wealth of resources on entrepreneurship, innovation, and failure tolerance in the context of technology ventures. Of particular interest is their “Entrepreneurship Corner” (https://ecorner.stanford.edu/), which features videos and podcasts of talks by successful entrepreneurs and innovators, many of whom discuss their experiences with failure and resilience.
Failure: Lab Failure: Lab (https://failure-lab.com/) is a unique platform that organizes events where individuals share personal stories of failure, followed by periods of reflection. While not strictly business-focused, this resource offers valuable insights into the human experience of failure and resilience. The website features videos of past presentations, providing a diverse range of perspectives on failure that can enrich readers’ understanding of the psychological and emotional aspects of embracing failure as a learning opportunity.
FailCon FailCon (http://thefailcon.com/) is a conference series specifically focused on failure and resilience in entrepreneurship and innovation. While the main conference is currently on hiatus, their website still offers valuable resources and information about past events. The conference has featured talks by successful entrepreneurs and innovators sharing their failure stories and lessons learned, aligning closely with the themes in Edmondson’s work.
World Business Forum The World Business Forum (https://wobi.com/wbf-nyc/) is an annual conference that brings together global business leaders to discuss current trends and challenges in business. While not exclusively focused on failure and learning, the conference often features speakers who address themes of resilience, innovation, and organizational culture, providing valuable context for the ideas presented in Right Kind of Wrong.
Association for Talent Development (ATD) The Association for Talent Development (https://www.td.org/) is a professional organization focused on workplace learning and performance. While not specifically centered on failure tolerance, ATD offers resources, research, and professional development opportunities related to creating learning cultures in organizations, which aligns closely with Edmondson’s work. Their conferences, webinars, and publications often address topics related to fostering innovation and resilience in organizational settings.
Strategic Management Society (SMS) The Strategic Management Society (https://www.strategicmanagement.net/) is a professional organization for academics, business practitioners, and consultants in the field of strategic management. Their conferences and publications often address topics related to innovation, organizational learning, and adapting to failure, providing a broader strategic context for the ideas presented in Right Kind of Wrong.
Masters of Scale Hosted by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, Masters of Scale (https://mastersofscale.com/) features interviews with successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Many episodes touch on themes of resilience, learning from failure, and creating innovative company cultures. The podcast offers real-world examples and practical advice that complement the theoretical framework presented in Edmondson’s book.
HBR IdeaCast Harvard Business Review’s podcast, HBR IdeaCast (https://hbr.org/podcasts/ideacast), frequently features discussions on leadership, innovation, and organizational culture. While not exclusively focused on failure tolerance, many episodes address related themes and often feature thought leaders in the field, including Amy C. Edmondson herself on occasion.
Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck This online course on Udacity (https://www.udacity.com/course/developing-a-growth-mindset–ud7123) is taught by Carol Dweck, whose work on mindset theory complements Edmondson’s ideas about failure tolerance. The course offers practical strategies for developing a growth mindset, which is crucial for individuals looking to embrace failure as a learning opportunity.
Leading the Learning Organization on edX Offered by RITx on edX (https://www.edx.org/course/leading-the-learning-organization), this course explores how to create and lead organizations that effectively learn and adapt. While not exclusively focused on failure tolerance, it covers related concepts such as systems thinking and organizational learning, providing valuable context for implementing the ideas presented in Right Kind of Wrong.
General Magic This 2018 documentary tells the story of General Magic, a 1990s Silicon Valley company that developed many of the concepts that later became staples of smartphones and tablets, but ultimately failed as a business. The film offers a compelling case study in innovation, failure, and the long-term impact of ideas that were ahead of their time, providing a real-world illustration of many concepts discussed in Edmondson’s work.
The Startup Kids This documentary features interviews with young tech entrepreneurs from the U.S. and Europe, many of whom discuss their experiences with failure and resilience. While not directly related to Edmondson’s work, the film provides valuable insights into how a new generation of business leaders is approaching risk, failure, and innovation in the startup world.
Something Ventured This documentary explores the early days of venture capital and the rise of some of America’s most successful tech companies. It includes stories of both successes and failures, offering a historical perspective on risk-taking and innovation in business that complements the more contemporary focus of Right Kind of Wrong.
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