Company Blog

Looking Forward to Failure

by Adam Zack — September 11, 2024

“(Failure) is a top-tier learning tool, and—spoiler alert—your wins far outnumber the losses.”

I’m constantly banging the drum about trying new things. New products, services, relationships, advertising methods—blah, blah, blah. And while I’ll go to my grave believing the grocery industry’s only constant is change, what we don’t talk about enough is how to deal with the inevitable face plants that come with failed change.

Back in the day, I worked with this self-proclaimed expert—you know the type. The guy who thinks he’s smarter than everyone in the room because Google exists. No matter what I did, it was always a bad idea in his eyes. If I’d suggested installing a slide from the break room to the parking lot, he’d claim he could make it longer, faster, and more OSHA-compliant. Turns out, he just had a severe case of “I’m actually not that great, so I’ll bring you down with me” syndrome. Classic.

Naturally, we butted heads, and not in a fun, competitive way like a spirited game of Monopoly (where, let’s be real, I’d still hate losing). Some battles I won, some I lost. And if there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I loathe losing. Someone once asked me why I took every defeat so personally. I mean, come on—this is business, right? Setbacks happen every week. But here’s the thing: when you’re fully invested in your work, your team, your vision, every failure feels personal.

You start thinking, “Maybe it was my decision-making that was flawed. Maybe it was my communication skills that led the team astray. Maybe I shouldn’t have scheduled that meeting at 5 p.m. on a Friday with no snacks.” And the next thing you know, you’re spiraling into a dark, gloomy abyss, where motivational posters about “teamwork” suddenly seem like a cruel joke.

Look, I’m not here to give you the classic “don’t take it personally” spiel. The truth is, failure sucks. But here’s the upside: It’s a top-tier learning tool, and—spoiler alert—your wins far outnumber the losses. So before you go drafting an “I’m never trying anything new again” manifesto, take a minute. Reflect. Be proud of what you’ve already achieved, and then get back to doing what you do best—taking risks, making decisions, and leading your people.

Because in the end, it’s not about the failure. It’s about how you pick yourself up after you’ve tripped over it. And hey, at least nobody had to endure a slide that would’ve turned into a human traffic jam at 5 o’clock.