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For leaders, there’s no avoiding failure; it just comes with the territory. However, how leaders respond when things don’t go as planned—how they lead through failure—is absolutely critical. This month, we are going to focus on ways that leaders can lead through failure and turn potential disappointment into powerful lessons for growth and renewal. In this episode, GLN President and CEO, David Ashcraft, shares stories of times when things did not go as planned, and how he has learned to “fail well” over time.
SUMMARY
For leaders, there’s no avoiding failure; it just comes with the territory. However, how leaders respond when things don’t go as planned—how they lead through failure—is absolutely critical. This month, we are going to focus on ways that leaders can lead through failure and turn potential disappointment into powerful lessons for growth and renewal. In this episode, GLN President and CEO, David Ashcraft, shares stories of times when things did not go as planned, and how he has learned to “fail well” over time.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- When is a time that David had a project or idea that he was passionate about, but that did not turn out the way he wanted?
- How can you move through discouragement over the results to a posture of learning?
- Does David see himself as a perfectionist?
- How can you build a culture of candor in a team?
- If you tend to be a people pleaser, what can you do to start receiving feedback more productively?
- If you’re going to experiment, be aware of how bad the consequences could be, and calculate accordingly.
LISTEN
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
STANDOUTS AND TAKEAWAYS
- Perspective is very important to determine whether or not something is actually a failure.
- Try new things but try them wisely.
- The desire for success can help mitigate the desire to please others.
- Address shortcomings and “gaps” with truth and grace, not suspicion or doubt.
- “Failure is not the enemy, inaction is” (Carrie Lohrenz).
LINKS MENTIONED
- Website: Leader365 and Team365
- Website: Global Leadership Summit 2025
- Website: Global Leadership Network
Related
Ep 208: Leading When the Plan Falls Apart with Craig Groeschel
In this episode, David Ashcraft talks with Craig Groeschel, founder and senior pastor of Life.Church, about how leaders can respond when leadership does not go as planned. Craig reflects on failed ideas, organizational pivots, team conflict, and the ongoing discipline of letting go as leadership expands. He also shares how humility, preparation, prayerfulness, candor and trust have shaped the way he leads through uncertainty.
Ep 207: Leading Through Leadership Hijacks with Edgar Sandoval
In this episode, GLN President and CEO David Ashcraft talks with Edgar Sandoval, President and CEO of World Vision, about navigating what David calls “leadership hijacks”: unexpected events that reshape both leadership and life.
Ep 206: When Leadership Gets Hijacked: Reclaiming Your Focus, Identity, and Definition of Success (with David Ashcraft)
In this episode, Whitney Putnam sits down with David Ashcraft to unpack the internal and external “hijacks” that pull leaders off course. They explore how even confident leaders can fall into comparison traps, how self-doubt often disguises itself in different ways, and why defining success based on others’ metrics leads to frustration.
Leadership That Lasts
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