I have heard some leadership speakers convey the idea that it is best to embrace your failures so you may, eventually, conquer your failures.
That idea is a damaging line of thought.
Hebrews 12:2 amp
Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
To embrace failure is to continue to experience failure. An example of this presented itself while I was riding in the Multiple Sclerosis 150 in Fort Worth this year. A couple I know was on a tandem bike in front of my husband and me. They had a good start and were cruising along when I heard the wife on the back shout, “Watch out for the cracks in the road!” Just a moment later I saw the front tire of their bike lodge into a crack, and they landed on the curb very abruptly. They were still locked into the pedals and so the impact was even more agonizing for them as they struggled to get free. The wife screamed, “I told you to watch out for the cracks in the road!” The husband replied, “I was, and that’s why we hit one!!” He knew his focus was wrong.
Jesus despised and ignored the agony and shame of the cross and focused on the prize that was to come…victory over sin, death and the grave. In leadership, it is best to overcome failures and shame by examining the problem and resolving the problem. Shifting the focus to the next potential success helps to keep you on a road to victory. KCB 2009
www.loveleadership.org
