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During a visit to Paris in 1984, Steve Jobs emphasized in a video recording well known to his fans, how failures can be beneficial stepping stones to success. Because they allow you to learn, to question yourself and to find new solutions. When it comes to creativity, failure forces you to explore new paths and think differently.
But to do that, you still have to accept that he is part of the game...
In the video, Jobs explains how his own setbacks, including his ouster from Apple, prompted him to rediscover his passion for innovation and to found NeXt and Pixar, two companies that revolutionized their respective fields. According to him, failure is not only part of the success process, it is a crucial step that allows you to reinvent yourself and strengthen your determination.
Yes you read and heard that right: failure is a crucial step. And that is clearly the cultural chasm that separates us from the United States.
American culture values failure. In the United States, failure is seen as a necessary step toward success. Failure is de-dramatized and even valued, because it shows effort and risk taking.
In the United States, failure is seen as a necessary step toward success.
This attitude encourages innovation, as it encourages experimentation without fear of the consequences of failure, since failure is part of the creative deal. Silicon Valley, in particular, is an iconic example of this mindset where entrepreneurs are encouraged to “fail fast” in order to learn and progress more quickly.
So much so that rather than failing, we call it “pivoting.” Understand: hit a wall, fall, get up, and change direction for possibly a day (after other “pivots”) find THE solution that will change everything. It's an iterative approach.
In my innovation conference, I usually say — The Thin (k) novation conference, that this only works if you have not put all the company's resources into this famous miracle solution... which in any case will fail, and that's good considering that it's part of the strategy. Because then the moment you hit the wall at full speed, it's impossible to get up. Too hard. The strategy of failure, the pivot strategy only works if you iterate quickly, with very few resources committed to your ideas and solutions. In the United States, this is called a minimum viable product. This is also an essential concept that I mention very often in my creativity conference.
In France, on the contrary, failure is often stigmatized. French culture tends to value perfection and avoid mistakes, which can hinder risk taking and innovation. French entrepreneurs may feel discouraged by the prospect of failure, fearing social and professional judgments. This more conservative approach limits learning opportunities and can inhibit the entrepreneurial spirit.
Jobs provides a cutting-edge recommendation in his 1984 video: a more tolerant approach to failure in France could unleash the creative potential of individuals. By accepting failure as an integral part of the innovation process, France could encourage a culture of experimentation and creativity. According to him, we need to change the way we look at failure in order to transform obstacles into drivers of creativity and success.
Here are the 5 virtues of failure according to Steve Jobs:
Learning and growth : Failure allows you to learn valuable lessons, identify mistakes, and learn not to repeat them.
Resilience and perseverance : Overcoming failure strengthens the ability to persevere in the face of challenges.
Creativity and innovation : Failure requires us to think differently and to explore new solutions.
Humility : Failing recalls personal boundaries and encourages modesty, which is essential for effective leadership.
Reinvention : Failure offers the opportunity to reinvent yourself and rediscover your passions and motivations
To ponder as a French person...
