Stephen Dubner

So what does Amy Edmondson think of messages like this?

So what does Amy Edmondson think of messages like this?

So what does Amy Edmondson think of messages like this?

I just want to read back what I think is the best quote I've ever heard from an HBS professor. Oh, yeah, innovation, blah, blah, blah.

I just want to read back what I think is the best quote I've ever heard from an HBS professor. Oh, yeah, innovation, blah, blah, blah.

I just want to read back what I think is the best quote I've ever heard from an HBS professor. Oh, yeah, innovation, blah, blah, blah.

We reached out to another psychologist whose work I admire, Gary Klein. He is a cognitive psychologist who studies decision-making. I asked Klein what he thinks of those Silicon Valley failure slogans.

We reached out to another psychologist whose work I admire, Gary Klein. He is a cognitive psychologist who studies decision-making. I asked Klein what he thinks of those Silicon Valley failure slogans.

We reached out to another psychologist whose work I admire, Gary Klein. He is a cognitive psychologist who studies decision-making. I asked Klein what he thinks of those Silicon Valley failure slogans.

But many of the failures that I read about in the academic literature on leadership and management, most of them have a happy ending. We got through all that failure on the way to our great triumph. What do you think of that type of narrative being so dominant? Does it hide too many failures that end in failure?

But many of the failures that I read about in the academic literature on leadership and management, most of them have a happy ending. We got through all that failure on the way to our great triumph. What do you think of that type of narrative being so dominant? Does it hide too many failures that end in failure?

But many of the failures that I read about in the academic literature on leadership and management, most of them have a happy ending. We got through all that failure on the way to our great triumph. What do you think of that type of narrative being so dominant? Does it hide too many failures that end in failure?

Would the world be better if we had a broader acceptance of or at least less fear of discussing failure?

Would the world be better if we had a broader acceptance of or at least less fear of discussing failure?

Would the world be better if we had a broader acceptance of or at least less fear of discussing failure?

Let's step back for a minute and acknowledge this fact. The way we see failure has changed over the centuries. It also varies greatly across individuals and across cultures. The ancient Greeks, for instance, hated and feared failure, but they largely attributed it to the whims of the gods. The ancient Romans, meanwhile, attributed failure, particularly on the battlefield, to human error.

Let's step back for a minute and acknowledge this fact. The way we see failure has changed over the centuries. It also varies greatly across individuals and across cultures. The ancient Greeks, for instance, hated and feared failure, but they largely attributed it to the whims of the gods. The ancient Romans, meanwhile, attributed failure, particularly on the battlefield, to human error.

Let's step back for a minute and acknowledge this fact. The way we see failure has changed over the centuries. It also varies greatly across individuals and across cultures. The ancient Greeks, for instance, hated and feared failure, but they largely attributed it to the whims of the gods. The ancient Romans, meanwhile, attributed failure, particularly on the battlefield, to human error.

Failure was considered shameful, often the grounds for suicide. And think about the Christian concept of original sin. You are born with failure in your soul. I asked Gary Klein for a modern definition of failure, at least his modern definition.

Failure was considered shameful, often the grounds for suicide. And think about the Christian concept of original sin. You are born with failure in your soul. I asked Gary Klein for a modern definition of failure, at least his modern definition.