Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes Into Stepping Stones for Success

Rate this book
The major difference between achieving people and average people is their perception of and response to failure. John C. Maxwell covers the top reasons people fail and shows how to master fear instead of being mastered by it. Listeners will discover that positive benefits can accompany negative experiences-if you have the right attitude. Chock full of action suggestions and real-life stories, Failing Forward will help men and women move beyond mistakes to fulfill their potential and achieve success.

209 pages, Hardcover

Published March 8, 2000

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

John C. Maxwell

771 books5,320 followers
John Calvin Maxwell is an American author, speaker, and pastor who has written many books, primarily focusing on leadership. Titles include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Some of his books have been on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
5,466 (47%)
4 stars
3,673 (31%)
3 stars
1,617 (14%)
2 stars
432 (3%)
1 star
303 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 655 reviews
Profile Image for Greg Frucci.
Author 3 books21 followers
August 8, 2013
I began reading this book wondering why a mentor of mine suggested that I read it in the first place. I began the first few pages with the attitude of "yeah, yeah, yeah...I know all this stuff already...my Mentor obviously has no clue who I am." I kept reading, then the note taking began...big-time. Hahaha...oh the humility I thought I possessed.

We have all heard the cliches before. The ones like, "we learn from our mistakes", etc. Yet, do you have an action plan in place for truly learning and moving forward? I didn't, but I do now. "Failing Forward" is not a collection of simple-minded cliches that only people in woo-woo land will relate to. "Failing Forward" is a fantastic read, which if you have the courage to admit your own failures in Life...and you have them...then this book will assist you focus on the benefits of failures, moving along a path to ultimate success in your endeavors. Just remember this...you must be willing to accept responsibility for your own actions and take ownership of your failures...meaning, stop blaming others. If you insist on partying it up at the local "Look at what Life has done to me" ale house, then don't bother reading this book, you are too weak to handle reality. On the other hand, if you wish to hone your skills in the realm of taking a Leadership role in your own path of Life, then buy this book...it is a must read.

I'm giving this book 5 stars because of the actions I am taking along my Life path from reading "Failing Forward"...yeah, it has had a sustained impact. Oh, and I'm giving the Mentor who told me to read the book five stars as well. Good call, Chris.

~Greg Frucci
Profile Image for Marwan Alamoudi.
69 reviews17 followers
January 3, 2013
قصتي مع الكتاب: قبل قراءة الكتاب كنت أواجه أوقات صعبة وخيارات متقاربة لتحديد أمور مستقبليةوقراراتي كانت تصطدم بذكريات سيئة وفاشلة في الماضي, وتأثرت نفسيا بسبب ضغط التفكير المستمر.

قرأت هذا الكتاب وجدت نفسي فيه, وجدته هو من انتشلني من زحمة التفكير و والضغط النفسي لمواجهة هذا الماضي السيئ ومن ثم تحديد ما أريده بلا تأثيرات سابقة مباشرة وغير مباشرة, كنت اقرأ أخطائي مع كل صفحة.

فعلا بداية التغيير ونقطة انطلاق كبيرة في حياتي بسبب هذا الكتاب ربما سأعود لكم بالنتائج بعد سنوات اذا كان التأثير ايجابي أو سلبي :)



عموما عن هذا الكتاب:
اغلب الكتب في التنمية البشرية والذاتية تتحدث عن النجاح وتركز عليه بشدة وعن عوامله, تجاهلوا أن قبل النجاح هناك مايسمى فشل واذا فشلت قد تسقط وتستسلم (وهذا الغالب) أو تعيد الكرة, أنت لا تملك أي خبرة عن (الفشل) وكيف تواجهه؟ وماهي طرق مواجهته؟ وكيف تحول هذا الفشل والأخطاء الى نجاح؟

حتى تنجح عليك أن تعرف وجه الفشل الذي سيقابلك حتميا لأن لا نجاح بلا فشل سابق, وكل الناجحون بمختلف التخصصات تعرضوا لفشل ذريع وعدة مرات حتى وصلوا للنجاح.

الأجمل مافي هدف الكتاب هو أن يحول هذا الفشل من عدو إلى صديق, فإذا كان صديقك هذا الفشل سيصل بك الى النجاح. فالفشل مجرد خطوة أو بضع خطوات.

دائما نردد شعارات الفشل هو خبرة و خطوة أولى و و و .. ولكن لا نستشعره, استشعر حقيقة الفشل البناء في هذا الكتاب.
Profile Image for Wafaa Golden.
279 reviews358 followers
September 17, 2019
الفشل البنّاء
رشّح لي ابن أخي القارئ النّاشئ هذا الكتاب وذكر أنّه يعتبره من جملة أفضل الكتب التي قرأها حتّى الآن..
فاستعرته منه وبدأتُ به وأنا على ثقة أنّي سأجده كما ذكر..
وبالفعل لم يخب ظنّي..
يهمّني بين الفينة والأخرى أن أقرأ كتب كهذه، كوني على اتّصال مباشر مع فتيات في سنّ المراهقة وفي بداية مشوارهم في هذه الحياة..
فهي تفيدهم وتجذبهم بالإضافة إلى أنّها تعطيهم مفتاحاً يستطيعون استخدامه إن أشكل عليهم شيء في طريقهم..
يتحدّث الكتاب عن كيفيّة النّظر إلى الأمور السّيّئة بمنظور إيجابي محفّز..
وكيف علينا أن نأخذ العقبات والانهزامات التي نمرّ بها على محمل حسن ولا أن نجعلها عائقاً وسدّاً منيعاً يحول بيننا وبين متابعتنا..
هناك الكثير من الاستراتيجيّات وجدتُ نفسي أطبّقها بشكل عفوي وقبل أن أطّلع على الكتاب..
ولكن لا أخفيكم سرّاً أنّه بسبب عرضه الشّيّق للفشل وكيف أنّه مرحلة مهمّة في حياة أي إنسان له هدف يسعى إليه..
أقول لا أخفيكم أنّ عرضه للفشل يجعل القارئ يتمنّى لو أنّه مرّ بهذه المرحلة لما فيه من خير عميم لما بعدها..
ولكن بشرط أن يُحسِن تلقّيه لها، وأن لا تجعله تلك المرحلة المؤقّتة من حياته ينهار ويبقى يُراوح في مكانه متذمّراً ساخطاً ناقماّ نادماً، يجترّ ما مضى ويبقى أسيراً فيه لا يكاد يخرج نفسه منه قيد أنملة..
فجاء هذا الكتاب يعرض سير أشخاص مرّوا بتجارب سيئة في حياتهم، ولكنّهم استمرّوا وتابعوا لبلوغ مناهم وما رسموا له..
وهنا يأتي لذكر فكرة مهمّة جدّاً وهي أنّ سرّ النّجاح والاستمرار أن يكون للشّخص هدف واضح يسعى له ولا يستسلم أبداً وإن سُدّ بوجهه باب فليحاول فتح بوابات أخرى..
وكما أقول دائما: كلّ إنسان في هذه الحياة له امتحان سيمرّ به شاء أم أبى..
ولكن ردّة فعله تجاه امتحانه هذا ستكون منحصرة في ثلاثة طرق لا رابع لها..
فإمّا أن يخرج منه كما دخل دون أن يعي شيئاً أو يفقه سبب وقوعه وكيف يمكن تحاشيه مرّة أخرى وما الدّرس المستفاد منه..
أو أن يخرج منه ناقماً ساخطاً على المجتمع والظّروف من حوله وربّما يصل به الأمر السّخط على خالقه ومدبّر أمره..
أو أن يخرج منه متعلّماً واعياً مُدركاً ما حصل وسببه والدّرس المستفاد منه، وبالتّالي يصبح ذاك الإنسان الحكيم المحنّك الراّضٍ عن حاله ووضعه والمتصالح مع نفسه..
أو دعني أقول ربّما التّصالح مع النّفس هي أولى الخطوات للوصول إلى هذه الحالة من الرّضى والاستقرار..
ففيها يعرف الإنسان ما له وما عليه..
ويتابع مشواره على أساس ذلك.. فيَسعد ويُسعِد من حوله..
فما أصعب العيش مع الإنسان النّاقم السّاخط عديم الهدف سيء الظّنّ المتذمّر..

وفاء
كانون الأوّل 2016
Profile Image for Nader Qasem.
59 reviews33 followers
January 18, 2020
51889973-35-D1-4-E4-E-A730-98-CAB99-DD58-A
button click test








بعض السقوط تعادله فرحه ما بعدها فرحه ... مثل السقوط للأمام !

نعم !
أنا أسقط !
وأنت تسقط !
وهم يسقطون !
وكلنا في مرحله من مراحل العمر ساقطون !
الفرق !
هناك منا من يسقط للأمام .. وأخر يسقط للخلف !


نعم !
فلسقوط أنواع وأنواع !
فهناك السقوط من العين !
وهناك السقوط من القلب !
وهناك السقوط من الذاكرة !
وهناك السقوط من الرحله !

فالذي يسقط من عين ذاته !
هذا غالبًا يسقط بعد مراحل من الصدمه والدهشه والاستنكار واحتقار الذات !
هذا يسقط بعد محاولات فاشله لتبرير نفسه هذا النوع من أنواع السقوط !

أما الذي يسقط من قلب ذاته !
هذا يسقط بعد مراحل من الخذلان و التخلي !
هذا يسقط بعد جري مستمر لحلم ضائغ !
هذا يسقط بعد محاولات فاشله لإحياء سعاده ماتت به منذ زمن !

أما الذي يسقط من الذاكرة !
فهذا غالبًا ما يمر بمراحل وهنه من التذكر والحنين !
هذا غالبًا ما يمر في معارك مريرًه مع النسيان !
معارك ناتجه عن الرغبه في التمسك يأطياف حلم أنتهى !


وأخيرا هناك الذي يسقط من الرحله !
وهذا النوع من السقوط مر لا يعادله مراره سوى مراره الموت !
فهو يخلفك بألم !
بغضه !
بحزن !
وكأن لا أحد من سكان الارض سقط الا سواك !
هذا النوع من السقوط يحاصرك بجبروت تمكن من خصمه !
فيدمر كل عمار بك وحولك !
و يمد يده الى خزائن نجاحك !
ويشوه به كل نموك وتفوقك !
ويسقط الكثير مما حرصت على بقائه في قلعه نصرك !
ويوقظك من أحلامك بلا تمهيد ولا توطئه !
وحتى سيوف الحمايه التي خلقتها حول قلعتك يغرسها في منتصف ظهرك !

نعم السقوط من الحياه مراره ما بعدها مراره !
لكن هناك من يتجنب كل ما كتب أعلاه .. باأتباع ما كتب أدناه !
نعم !
هناك من يسقط من الحياه ، لكن يسقط للأمام لا للخلف !
هناك من يسقط وبه من القوه ما يحمي حلمه وذاكرته وقلبه !


فبين صفحات هذا الكتاب !
أنت تتعلم عن السقوط من أرض الفشل الى أرض النجاح !
من أرض الفساد الى أرض الطهر !
من أرض القنوط الى أرض الأمل !

جون ماكسويل يربط على كتفك بكل لطف !
ويعلمك أكثر عن الفشل البناء !
ويبتسم لك بلطف الارض لكي يخبرك !
أن العواقب وأن كثرت .. ستسهل !
الكتاب وأن كان تكرار لكتب كثيره من التي تقع تحت مسمى تنميه بشريه !
الا أنه كان فريدا جدا في محتواه الاستثنائي !
فيا أنت !
أنت الذي تعاني من الفشل وخيبه الأمل!
ألتقط هذا الكتاب ، وأحصل على منظور جديد للفشل !
تعلم كيفيه قلب الطاولة وصنع الأكتساح من الإحباط !
التقط هذا الكتاب !
فمن خلاله ستتعرف على الفرق بين أولئك الذين يرضون ب الوسطيه وأولئك الذين يسعون ل التجليه !
التقط هذا الكتاب وتعلم كيفيه السقوط ل الأمام بدلًا من السقوط للخلف !



بعض من الأقتباسات التي راقت لي :

"الحياه عباره عن ننائج تصرفاتك ، اذا ما راقت لك النتائج ، تعلم من التجربه وكررها ، وأن لم ترق لك تعلم من التجربه أيضا لكن تجنبها"

"كبيرا جدا أنا على البكاء، ومتألما كثيرا أنا على الضحك"

"حياه تقضيها ب أقتراف الأخطاء أكثر نبلا وفائده من حياه تقضيها في الضياع"


"الجوده الوحيدة التي يمتلكها كل فرد ناجح هي تحمل المسؤؤليه"

"لا أهتم كثيرا بما يجري حولي بقدر ما أهتم ما يجري بداخلي
فحجم المشكله لا يهم
بكل كيفيه التعامل معها"


"بعض البشر يفضلون رؤيه الكوب نصف فارغ بدلًا من نصف ممتلئ"


"الحقيقه التي أنا متاكد منها أنا هي ان القناعه أساسيه جدا جدا في مقاومه الفشل"


"أنت بالتأكيد لا مقدره لك بالتحكم في مدئ طول حياتك
لكن حتمى لديك المقدره في التحكم بعمقها"



E00-A3185-4387-4-A56-AAEC-A7-D7-B5293456



5-CE0-D015-6-F5-D-4-E67-BA7-A-84799-DDAFC12
Profile Image for Danny.
74 reviews11 followers
February 1, 2010
Some of my favorite quotes:
“People are training for success when they should be training for failure. Failure is far more common than success; poverty is more prevalent than wealth; and disappointment more normal than arrival.” J. Wallace Hamilton
“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.“ Thomas A. Edison
To achieve your dreams, you must embrace adversity and make failure a part of your life. If you are not failing, you are probably not moving forward.
“Don't let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action.” Jim Rohn
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin
“Highly successful leaders ignore conventional wisdom and take chances. Their stories inevitably include a defining moment or key decision when they took a significant risk and thereby experienced a breakthrough.” Larry Osborne
Profile Image for Amy.
2,743 reviews534 followers
July 8, 2023
2.5 stars

Like many books focused on failure, Failing Forward lost me with the lack of clear definition for failure. The subheading states: "Turning Mistakes Into Stepping Stones for Success." But most of this book does not actually deal with mistakes.

Very occasionally "failure" in this book stands for mistakes. People sometimes make a wrong decision or trust the wrong person.

More often, it mean setbacks. Partners die, freak floods happen, childhoods suck. And people use those setbacks to become successful. Which is great! But that isn't a mistake.

It is frustrating because I feel like the overall message is an inspiring one. Perseverance in the face of adversity is an admirable trait and one worth developing. There are inspiring stories here. But I think it needed tighter focus to really be useful.
Profile Image for Ido.
34 reviews10 followers
September 16, 2015
There are only two roads to take in life:

רוצים לשמוע אותי מדבר על הספר? !צפו בוידאו סיקור :-)

One is smooth and easy and anyone who wishes, will arrive shortly to
it's destination: mediocrity.

The second is hidden at first, and when exposed is frightening: long and full of inconsistencies and obstacles. The only reason one might walk this road is the potential unending rewards along the way and summits.

Two roads. One promises a casual walk with little rewards,
the other promises a long painful walk with amazing rewards.
As humans we would have wanted to invent an easy road with amazing rewards, but alas all of those "Get Rich Quick", "Get Love With A Step
By Step Formula", "Become Healthy With A Magical Pill" provide nothing
in the long run.

What then, is the way to preserve in the painful and rewarding road?
The answer is ATTITUDE.

Failing Forward is a reintroduction book about this painful little thing
called: failure. Why the most rewarding road is full of obstacles?
Why the road for achieving dreams is so inconsistent and long?
The answer is simple: If you already had what it took to achieve what
you want in life, then there is nothing anyone can teach you! and you
should be satisfied!

But, if you desire things that are not in your reach, then you have a
lot to learn. The road of excellence is painful only if you believe you
know everything, and important to those who wish to learn.
This is not school or university, this road doesn't provide a certificate
or a secure job, it provides personal skills, connections, opportunities
and experience, that, when combined smartly, will bring results.
If one is willing to learn and grow from every mistake and failure,
he can turn them into stepping stones for success.

Understanding how to fail forward, is key to acquire useful means to success. Failing Forward will shed a new light at the concept of failure, and may even make it your new best friend in the road for excellence.

“If you're not failing, you're probably not really moving forward.”

P.S. Remember to smell the roses and relax from time to time! :-)
Read: The Gifts Of Imperfection and Read: On The Shortness Of Life

!צפו בוידאו סיקור :-)

Best of 2015.

Profile Image for Joanne.
96 reviews5 followers
December 13, 2009
"Failure is an inside job." That is the message of this book. It teaches us the difference between "average" people and those who achieve. That difference is how they view, and how they respond to "failure". We learn to redefine both failure and success - in terms of what we learn, of course. But it goes well beyond delivering a "There, there, things aren't so bad" message. It provides strategies for effective cognitive reframing, along with lots of inspiration, and examples we can identify with. There is much of value here - something on every beautifully edited page. I recommend this book for those facing challenges themselves, and for those who support them.
Profile Image for ريلينا  بيسكرافت.
6 reviews14 followers
February 9, 2015
الكتاب رائع فعلا :)

وبما انني ارى نفسي من ال��شخاص الفاشلين غير القادرين على فعل اي شئ مفيد والنجاح به
فقد ساعدني بوضع يدي على اغلب المشكلات التي اعاني منها
وان شاء الله ابدأ بالتنفيذ وحلها :)

اعجبني فيه انه كان في البداية الكتاب يذكر المشكلة ثم يقدم لك ومن بعدها يأتي بقصة صغيرة لتوضح لك كيف يتم حل المشكلة

اهم شئ تعلمته منه هو انه لكي تنجح عليك ان تغير من نفسك ومن طريقة تفكيرك لكي تستطيع تحدي المشاكل والصعاب

انصح بقراءته فعلا :)

Profile Image for Abdulmohsen Alghareeb.
170 reviews26 followers
March 2, 2013
الكتاب لم يقدم لي الشيء الجديد ، بل كان بمثابة تذكير لما كنت اعرفه مسبقا ، و ذلك يعود الى انني قرأت الكثير من الكتب في هذا المجال ، لكن الكتاب سيكون بداية ممتازة لمن لم يقرأ هذا النوع من الكتب.
يتكلم الكتاب عن امور شتى و لعل ابرزها هو الفشل و كيفية النهوض منه ، و اعجبني التفاعل بين الكاتب و القارئ و ذلك بطرح بعض الاسئلة ليجيب عنها القارئ و يقيم نفسه.
بالنهاية ، انصح الجميع بقراءة هذا الكتاب.
Profile Image for Sheryl.
7 reviews1 follower
January 2, 2012
Life is a series of outcomes. Sometimes the outcome is what you want. Great. Figure out what you did right. Sometimes the outcome is what you don't want. Great. Figure out what you did so you don't do it again. ~~Psychologist Simone Caruthers


It was my high school friend, Alein N., who introduced me to one of the world’s finest motivational speaker, when he let me borrowed John C. Maxwell’s How to Become a Person of Influence. Since then, I have been an avid fan of John C. Maxwell, especially in his book on 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.


Before Christmas break started, I visited our university library to browse some books. Fortunately, I came across John Maxwell’s Failing Forward. After a quick reading on its cover page, I immediately asked the library staff to list the book on my library card.


Once again, John C. Maxwell never failed to amaze me. The book provides practical lessons on how to make mistakes into stepping-stones for success. Maxwell made me realize that there are no mistakes, only lessons learned. His book reveals the following major differences between Failing Backward and Failing Forward.

For me, Failing Forward is a gem. The book is very persuasive, insightful, and engaging by nature. It provides practical questions at the end of each chapter, which could help your reflect deeply, and evaluate yourself. This book is a MUST-HAVE item to all professionals, housewives, husbands, and students who wish to change their attitude towards failures.




Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. ~~Helen Keller
Profile Image for Matt Jaeger.
176 reviews11 followers
September 3, 2020
Want to write a self help best seller? Pick an awful pun for a title. Come up with a dozen different ways to say “don’t give up.” Look up a bunch of inspirational memes and use them as chapter titles. Make the body of work tired old anecdotes everyone has heard a million times. Make sure those anecdotes are only about white people. Add some lists. Fill in the gaps with cliches. Voila! 200 pages of easily digestible mush that you can sell to the gullible at Christian conferences.
Profile Image for Ursula.
6 reviews1 follower
October 28, 2012
It was my high school friend, Alein N., who introduced me to one of the world’s finest motivational speaker, when he let me borrowed John C. Maxwell’s How to Become a Person of Influence. Since then, I have been an avid fan of John C. Maxwell, especially in his book on 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.


Before Christmas break started, I visited our university library to browse some books. Fortunately, I came across John Maxwell’s Failing Forward. After a quick reading on its cover page, I immediately asked the library staff to list the book on my library card.


Once again, John C. Maxwell never failed to amaze me. The book provides practical lessons on how to make mistakes into stepping-stones for success. Maxwell made me realize that there are no mistakes, only lessons learned. His book reveals the following major differences between Failing Backward and Failing Forward.




Failing Backward


Blaming others
Repeating the same mistakes
Expecting never to fail again
Expecting to continuity fail
Accepting tradition blindly
Being limited by past mistakes
Thinking I am a Failure
Quitting




Failing Forward


Taking responsibility
Learning from each mistake
Knowing failure is a part of progress
Maintaining a positive attitude
Challenging outdates assumptions
Taking new risks
Believing something didn’t work
Persevering


Failing Forward simply elucidates that if we want to succeed, we really have to fail first. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve failed, what is important is you get up, learn the lesson behind every failure, and move on. The book gives 15 steps to Failing Forward. Re-read each point, and reflect on it. There is truly wisdom behind it.




Realize there is one major difference between average people and achieving people.
Learn a new definition of failure.
Remove the “you��� from failure.
Take action and reduce your fear.
Change your response to failure by accepting responsibility.
Don’t let the failure from outside get inside you.
Say good-bye to yesterday.
Change yourself, and your world changes.
Get over yourself and start giving yourself.
Find the benefit in every bad experience.
If at first you do succeed, try something harder.
Learn from a bad experience and make it a good experience.
Work on the weakness that weakens you.
Understand there’s not much difference between failure and success.
Get up, get over it, get going.


For me, Failing Forward is a gem. The book is very persuasive, insightful, and engaging by nature. It provides practical questions at the end of each chapter, which could help your reflect deeply, and evaluate yourself. This book is a MUST-HAVE item to all professionals, housewives, husbands, and students who wish to change their attitude towards failures.
Profile Image for Lucie.
200 reviews26 followers
December 8, 2020
I've heard a lot of praise for the book. It has so many positive reviews. People like James Altucher have been recommending it. I thought it must be good. So I was curious. Now I'm confused. Let me start with the positives.


1. It's simple, short, and straightforward.

2. The ideas might not be anything new or revolutionary. Still, I mostly agree with them and think they are worth being reminded.

3. A few of the ideas found me at the right time, so the book served its purpose to an extent.


Now about what didn't sit with me so well.

1. Was it a book or a book-sized list? I mean, what's up with all the numbering? Every idea was on a numbered list. I'm not exaggerating. Every. Damn. Idea. I'm a huge fan of lists, but this just seemed both overdone and lazy. It's easier to put things into a list than to spend time thinking about how those thoughts connect and how to phrase the connection. And with this also goes the phrasing of some of the steps. Step no. 1: Realize there is one major difference between average people and achieving people. Could the wording be any vaguer? The sloppy style is threading through the whole book.

2. It was pretty generic. This ties in with my point number 2 in the positives. While it is worth reminding certain things, I felt like nothing was particularly new, nothing that would push me to think outside of my comfort zone.

3. My biggest bone to pick is the narrator's voice. It's written in the traditional tone of self-help books, where the authors (usually males) speak from a position of the perfect, unmistakeable kings — and if you apply yourself, you can become as great as they are. No, thank you. John C. Maxwell had plenty of stories about the others' failures but very little of his own. Whenever he mentions himself, he is the guy helping others to see their shortcomings. (With one exception, as far as I recall, which involves him changing his diet and lifestyle, while very quickly adding that it wasn't that bad even before.) I thought there was no real vulnerability, which I would expect in the book on failure — and the lack of it makes me not trust the narrator.

4. Finally, did I mentioned the numbered lists??


I don't mean to say the book is bad. Based on the reviews I've seen, it seems to bring plenty of value for others. But I was disappointed. If you want a tip for something better in the field, I highly recommend Brene Brown's Daring Greatly.
Profile Image for Mohammad Ali Abedi.
433 reviews38 followers
February 28, 2018
“People are training for success when they should be training for failure. Failure is far more common than success; poverty is more prevalent than wealth; and disappointment more normal than arrival.” – J. Wallace Hamilton

I am in a difficult stage in my life where I have (potentially) lost my life savings, so I desperately need to read books that deal with the feeling of failure.

But this is was not the book for that. One of the author’s own personal anecdotes of failure is something like this. He was a young preacher and every year a group votes for him (I think it is parishioners or something, but I can’t remember). He expects to get all Yeses from a group of (I think) twenty or so people. But, here is the awful thing that happened, he got ONE NO!! Oh no! He felt devastated. But his father talked to him, gave him some sage advice, and he turned that failure to an opportunity.

What??

That’s like someone having lost their child, attended a group get over their pain, and the speaker tells that they should get over such tragedy, and telling his own sad story of when he once lost his favorite Pokemon card. And then try to teach them a lesson based on that.

That’s really the book to me. He doesn’t really seem to understand what failure is. It’s not his shitty anecdote, nor is it some of the stories where someone doesn’t succeed at first, but then does.

“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”
Profile Image for Bethany Baird.
161 reviews21 followers
February 18, 2016
Rating books

5 would read again
4 liked would recommend
3 was ok
2 didn't really like
1 hated

I'm going to read this again with my teenagers. The first part I felt like I knew already but as I read more in this book there was a lot of helpful how to advice and practical steps to live out what he was saying and I appreciated that. One of the quotes at the end "Schools teach the technical disciplines such as math and science, but not about mental health. What they need to teach is how to deal with problems...but to succeed you have to be open to problems. You have to be open to failure."

I'm a recovering perfectionist so this is good stuff for me to read. I'm excited to go through it with my kids to inspire and encourage them as they walk through life and give them tools in their back pockets that I wish I had at a younger age.
Profile Image for Pablo (Cicatricesdelibros).
187 reviews11 followers
November 29, 2022
Una cirugía al fracaso en toda su extensión. Creo que no hay mayor análisis he haya leído. Muy recomendable con historias y ejemplos.
Profile Image for Christopher Lewis Kozoriz.
827 reviews271 followers
February 10, 2018
"The only way to get ahead is to fail early, fail often and fail forward." (John C. Maxwell, Failing Forward)

If you want a different take on failure, then you definitely should read this book. If you are not failing, then you probably are not achieving much. You need to try something harder. Most of the greatest achievers that have ever lived were once the greatest failures and the author gives many examples of these superachievers.

As Henry Ford says, "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."

Fail forward, not backward. The author will show you the steps :)
Profile Image for Chase Parsley.
516 reviews18 followers
August 31, 2015
This is my first exposure to John Maxwell and is one of the best self-improvement books I have ever come across. Author Maxwelll reminds me a lot of Dale Carnegie in the sense that his simple and profound points of wisdom are peppered with inspirational side stories and common sense advice. I didn't feel preached to at all in this book which was refreshing. The book's premise is that life is full of mistakes, and the goal is to turn them into positives.

I read this book at a difficult time in my life, and it genuinely helped my outlook. For anyone who seeks to live life to the best of their ability, I recommend it.
1 review
Read
November 9, 2010
It was full of inspirational and motivational thoughts that helped me deal with life as a whole...
Profile Image for Khalid Hajeri.
Author 2 books21 followers
February 20, 2022
Failing is not always a bad thing; it can be the best way to earn your success!

"Failing Forward" is a masterpiece in the self help genre of books. Many books of this kind tend to shy away from the topic of failure by focusing instead solely on the idea of success. This book, written by John C. Maxwell, tells readers that failure has a great importance in the journey to succeeding in all aspects of life.

Written in a style that is very welcoming to readers, "Failing Forward" grabs the reader's attention by presenting several stories of people who experienced great hardships on their way to become successful. From legendary Amelia Earhart to the then-unlikely restauranteur Dave Anderson to even board game publisher Milton Bradley, all the people mentioned had gone through the worst moments in their lives to achieve immense greatness. It was only through extreme failure that they found their way to inspirational success.

The author also emphasizes that success does not happen overnight, rather it is part of the ongoing process of trial and error. Each and every person mentioned in his book had to start somewhere, even if it meant they had to stray away from their original qualifications and expertise. There is alot more to be gained from learning new things than by sticking to existing knowledge. It is true that what you currently know is important, however you can use your knowledge to build on additional skill sets and achieve so much more. Again, only through taking risks that can lead to failure will ensure a path towards your ultimate goals.

Most important of all, the idea of a positive mindset is essential in using the menthods from this book. Mr. Maxwell informs readers that they must be willing to get out of their comfort zones and think outside the box no matter what situation they are in. This is very inspiring to me since I have been in many situations where I felt stuck and lost in my journey to achieve my goals. Reading this book helped me recall how I was able to use my failures to my advantage by taking them as learning experiences and moving on to succeed. Failing can actually be a positive thing, and this book shows readers how this is so.

"Failing Forward" is a brilliant book and a must-read especially for readers who experienced constant setbacks. It is listed as a business self-help book, howevere I firmly recommend it to people from various walks of life such as students and employees. A real gem that deserves more recognition, "Failing Forward" will get you started on improving your situation so that you look at failure in a completely different manner that will help you succeed in your life. Highly recommended reading!
24 reviews2 followers
May 5, 2020
Listened as an Audiobook off of YouTube as I worked. I enjoyed the beginning half or the book, but I feel like the end half was just repeat. Good moral point about how a person reacts to failure becomes the difference to growing or remaining in the same situation.
Profile Image for Nick.
722 reviews120 followers
April 8, 2020
3 1/2 stars.

It has some good points, stories, and quotes. As a book, it relies on repetition to fill pages. It could easily have been shortened by 50 pages.
Profile Image for Danie Pitre.
48 reviews3 followers
January 27, 2022
Loved it!!! John Maxwell really changes your perception of failure and success! Good read for anyone with goals they want to achieve!
Profile Image for Pete Klein.
Author 15 books68 followers
August 17, 2020
Great book! Many strategies for failing forward, using your failures to increase your chances for success. If you are down, but not out, success could be right around the corner. :)
Profile Image for Ronald Urizar.
219 reviews4 followers
August 30, 2019
Pasos para encontrar el lado positivo del fracaso
1. Reconozca que hay una gran diferencia entre las personas mediocres y las que triunfan.
2. Aprenda una nueva definición del fracaso
3. Elimine el yo de sus fracasos
4. Entre en acción y reduzca su miedo
5. Cambie su reacción ante el fracaso aceptando su responsabilidad
6. No deje que el fracaso externo se meta dentro de usted
7. Dígale adiós al ayer
8. Cambie usted y su mundo cambiará
9. Despreocúpese de usted y comience a darse a los demás
10. Busque el beneficio en cada mala experiencia
11. Si tiene éxito al primer intento, pruebe algo más dificil
12. Aprenda de una mala experiencia y transfórmela en una buena experiencia
13. Trabaje sobre las debilidades que lo debilitan
14. Entienda que no hay mucha diferencia entre fracaso y éxito
15. Levántese, recupérese y siga avanzando

Capítulo 1
Fracaso.- Situación en la que no se obtienen los resultados deseados y esperados.
Es así como lo define el diccionario, sin embargo debemos tener en cuenta que no todos
reaccionamos de diferente manera ante diversas situaciones, si bien es cierto que
muchos factores son indicadores de que recorreremos un camino exitoso, tales como el
liderazgo, actitud positiva, buenas relaciones interpersonales, etc. Es también cierto que
no es necesario un súper título universitario para alcanzar lo que nos propongamos.
¿Prepararse para el fracaso? ¿Por qué? En un principio el concepto revolucionó mis
ideas, sentí que no podía perder tiempo valioso, preparándome para lidiar con
sentimientos comunes como la desilusión, pobreza y fracaso, la verdad es que me
preparo para afrontar las vicisitudes de mi vida de la forma mas madura, conociendo mis
fortalezas y estudiando mis debilidades que sé que las tengo, para no caer en el abismo
desilusionador de fracasar. Y si asi lo hiciere, es decir, llegara a fracasar en algún
momento, pues este será bienvenido y será adoptado como una experiencia de vida.

Capítulo 2
No podemos evitar lo inevitable, en nuestra humanidad imperfecta, estamos destinados
en algún momento a errar y es cierto que solo dependerá de nosotros afrontar el
problema sin tener que ver al fracaso como el Némesis con quien nos enfrentamos cada
vez que emprendemos un proyecto o nos trazamos un objetivo. Al final nuestros
resultados serán los que determinen nuestra situación. Estamos llenos de ejemplos de
personas que han tenido que pasar por la calle de la amargura para llegar a alcanzar el
éxito, Thomas Edison, quien intento más de 1000 veces crear el bombillo de luz, hasta
llegar al adecuado y cuando lo logró simplemente dijo: "No fracasé, sólo descubrí 999
maneras de cómo no hacer una bombilla."
Entonces, ¿Quiénes son las personas que triunfan y las mediocres?
Pues las primeras son aquellas que son capaces de ver mas allá de lo evidente, mas allá
de lo tangible, mas allá de lo imaginable, los que con actitudes positivas cultivan su
espíritu emprendedor y que están dispuestos a seguir el camino del aprendizaje continuo.
Los demás, simplemente son diferentes.

Capítulo 3
Nuestros errores no son un signo de fracaso, vemos por todo el mundo a personas contar
testimonios de vida, de las cuales la mayoría tuvo tropezones al comienzo, sin duda su
determinación por continuar con sus sueños los han puesto en el lugar que ahora están y
aún buscan nuevas maneras de ser exitosos.
Es importante tener buena autoestima, si tú no te Amas. ¿Cómo poder Amar a alguien
más? He perdido la cuenta de cuantas veces escuché esta frase y si bien es cierta, es
cierto también que tener el ego sobre las nubes te llevará inevitablemente a un aterrizaje
que será toda una experiencia dolorosa. Como triunfadores, seamos realistas, busquemos
aquello que nos apasiona y enfoquemos nuestras energías para conseguirlo y si alguna
estrategia no funciona, tengamos presente que siempre existen nuevos caminos por
explorar, evitemos la desesperación y seamos consecuentes.

Capítulo 4
Autocontrol, cuán difícil es lidiar con nuestras emociones y sentimientos. Imagino a todas
esas personas que dejaron atrás sus sueños y quedaron atrapadas en un fango de dudas,
con más preguntas que respuestas y llenas de temor por volver a intentarlo. Nos vemos
paralizados, indecisos, con falta de propósitos, se generan excusas, autocompasión,
desesperanza y por fin, te quedaste sin fuerzas. No existen mágicas recetas, solo existes
tú y tu implacable deseo de levantarte y de estar dispuesto a seguir cayendo si es
necesario, el movimiento te mantendrá activo, sigue viviendo, disfruta tus experiencias
aunque sientas que no son del todo gratificantes, enfrenta tus temores, busca tus mejores
cualidades y haz que trabajen para ti.

Capítulo 5
Si hacemos algo que siempre nos lleva al mismo resultado, pues es claro que hay algo
que no está bien, cambia la rutina, cambia tu esquema, inicia un nuevo plan, reprograma
tu cerebro y sal de ese círculo vicioso en el que entraste. Generalmente es más fácil
echar la culpa a otras personas por tu falta de éxito, encubrimos nuestra propia realidad y
nos mentimos con aquello que queremos creer, cuán difícil es hacerse cargo de uno
mismo y por lo que no es capaz de emprender. Antes de continuar será mejor que bajes
un cambio, analiza tus opciones y si te das cuenta que estas fallando, pues ten el valor de
reconocerlo y jamás te des por vencido. Hay algunos que dicen que todos los caminos
conducen a Roma, pero pocos sabemos que todos los caminos salen de Roma. Lo que
intento decir es que labremos nuestros caminos y seamos responsables de cada uno de
los que elijamos explorar, así llegaremos a nuestra propia carretera que de seguro servirá
para otros que decidan seguir nuestro camino hacia el éxito.

Capítulo 6
Todo lo que somos proviene de nuestro interior, todo lo que reflejamos, podría venir de la
parte más oscura de nuestros pensamientos, creo que cuando cada uno de nosotros
pueda afrontar sinceramente esa realidad, empezaremos el camino del
autodescubrimiento y maravillosamente iremos experimentando un cambio en nuestras
vidas. Podrán venir muchos momentos de angustia, pero cuan dispuestos estamos para
asumir de una vez por todas la responsabilidad con nuestras vidas. Si echamos todo a
manos del destino, pues estaremos yendo directo al abismo. ¿Acaso el destino no son
aquellos acontecimientos circunstanciales fuera de nuestro control? No podemos controlar
un terremoto o una inundación, pero si podemos hacerle frente a aquellos pensamientos
pesimistas que nos rodean a diario, podemos cambiar nuestra perspectiva y eliminar a aquellas emociones toxicas, para llenar ese vaso de acciones positivas. La eterna batalla
entre el corazón y la mente podría terminar al fin si el corazón estaría en la cabeza y el
cerebro en el pecho, así pensaríamos con amor y amaríamos con sabiduría.

Capítulo 7
Hace un tiempo tuve la oportunidad de observar como un grupo de niños comenzaban a
jugar, al parecer todo iba perfecto y de pronto uno de ellos tropezó y comenzó el debate
del por qué había caído, quien lo había empujado y si este niño debería seguir jugando.
Fue realmente interesante darme cuenta que los niños no tienden a preocuparse por el
pasado, quizás porque no tienen mucho que recordar, tampoco se preocupan por el
futuro, quizás porque aún no tienen las responsabilidades que trae consigo la madurez,
en fin no necesitaron hacer comparaciones negativas, tampoco vieron que era un
problema para continuar el juego, nadie salió del juego, no hubo que recordar la caída y
ninguno quedó atrapado en la amargura. Simplemente continuaron jugando, riendo y
siendo felices, sólo importo disfrutar el momento PRESENTE. Es tan complicado para
nosotros poder ser libres de nuestro pasado, disfrutar los momentos que realmente
deberíamos vivirlos. El pasado simplemente retrasa nuestro camino hacia la verdadera
felicidad y más aun a nuestro éxito, asi que está más que obvio decir que es tiempo de
dejar las cosas donde quedaron y encarar nuestro futuro, disfrutando nuestro presente.

Capítulo 8
Conoce a tu enemigo y conócete a ti mismo y saldrás triunfador en mil batallas (Sun Tzu,
El Arte de la Guerra). Somos nosotros los que saboteamos nuestra vida, es cierto,
habremos de cometer un sinfín de errores, decisiones equivocadas a lo largo de nuestra
vida, pero si no nos damos cuenta de que es necesario tener un cambio de actitud, nos
veremos siempre en el mismo circulo vicioso que nos lleva siempre al mismo punto de
partida que es nuestra propia infelicidad. Creo que somos lo que decidimos ser, sabemos
que nuestras excusas al final de nuestro camino no servirán de nada porque simplemente
no podemos mentirnos a nosotros mismos. Vivir con empatía nos ayudará a cambiar el
modo de ver las cosas, el poder ser sincero con uno mismo, nos ayudará a ser
responsables con nuestras decisiones, el reconocer nuestras capacidades, nos ayudará a
crear siempre nuevas oportunidades frente a la adversidad, el ser apasionado nos
ayudará a continuar siempre con esa actitud positiva y mantendrá nuestro espíritu activo.
No pienses que algo es imposible de realizar, en vez de eso piensa que aún no lo has
hecho, nada es demasiado grande para los deseos de tu corazón.

Capítulo 9
¿Hasta qué punto es bueno nuestro ego? Tener la autoestima elevada, sin duda es muy
beneficioso, uno se siente vigoroso. Si uno aprende a canalizar toda esa energía en algo
positivo, sin duda que las personas a su alrededor lo notarán, porque somos el reflejo de
nuestro interior. Sin embargo, si nuestro ego ha sido distorsionado con ese sentido de
supremacía ante todos, nos veremos aislados hasta convertirnos en aquella persona
indeseable a la que no tienes necesidad de ver porque no se pone la camiseta del equipo.
Tener en cuenta las necesidades de los tuyos te hace parte del equipo, te hace parte de
sus experiencias, te hace parte importante de sus vidas y no puede haber nada más grato
que saber que puedes influir de manera positiva en la vida de otra persona, te conviertes
en esa persona ordinaria que hace lo extraordinario por los demás.

Capítulo 10
No todas las personas que han experimentado con el fracaso han sabido lidiar con él,
desde luego que es necesario abrazar a ese amigo que te ha enseñado los caminos que
no debes tomar. Y uno , hará su parte no cayendo en la amargura. Ten en cuenta que tu
resistencia frente a las malas situaciones aumentará y es bueno, porque poco a poco
dejaras de desesperarte y habrás alcanzado un nivel elevado de madurez y estarás
preparado para enfrentar tu camino hacia el éxito con más recursos, verás oportunidades
donde otros solo ven caos y serás capaz de generar nuevas ideas, recordemos que sin la
oscuridad, no se haya inventado el bombillo de luz. Asi que, por más adversa que creas
que es una situación, no desvíes tu mirada del objetivo trazado, aprende de tus errores y
analiza cual es el mejor camino que debes tomar para convertir un mala situación en una
oportunidad para crecer. Estoy seguro que a estas alturas ya sabremos cómo hacerlo.

Capítulo 11
Siempre me ha llamado la atención conocer nuestras limitaciones, sentir la adrenalina que
fluye dentro de uno cuando se sabe que lo que se realizará tiene un final incierto, sin duda
siempre es bueno tomar riesgos y salir de la zona de confort. Siempre se experimentará
esa sensación de vacío en el estómago, porque uno sabe que está dando el primer paso
a la decisión quizás más importante hasta ahora. De hecho, la vergüenza ira
desapareciendo en la medida que hayas puesto a prueba tus capacidades y hayas tenido
que caer varias veces para aprender a levantarte. El tratar de encontrar una razón para
todo no podrá siempre producir los resultados que esperas. La necesidad de tener razón,
es signo de una mente vulgar. `Albert Camus`. Y sin duda es necesario recordar que sin
esfuerzo no hay fruto, aun con la injusticia de frente, hay que pasar sobre todo obstáculo y
asumir nuestras responsabilidades, hacernos cargo de nosotros mismos y evitar que el
tiempo nos consuma. Hacer la diferencia es el verdadero reto.

Capítulo 12
Es la actitud quien nos separa de los demás. Nos exponemos a diario a diferentes
situaciones de las cuales deberíamos estar siempre dispuestos a aprender, ya sea porque
tuvimos una mala experiencia en el supermercado o haber tenido un viaje de autobús muy
largo o discusiones por el caótico tráfico. Es bueno replantear a diario la estrategia hacia
un día exitoso. Analizar las malas experiencias, hacer las preguntas adecuadas, evitar la
amargura y construir posibilidades que eviten que entremos en el círculo de la auto
compasión, nos hará verdaderos conocedores de nuestro potencial, así podremos estar
más preparados para el siguiente nivel.

Capítulo 13
Creo que la mayoría de las personas en algún momento hemos usado la frase `No me
podría ir peor`. De hecho, creo que a estas alturas del resumen espero que me vaya peor,
así iría practicando las maneras de hacerme cargo de mis problemas y aunque queramos
encontrar culpables a nuestras malas experiencias, tengamos en cuenta que no somos
solo nosotros que tenemos problemas y más bien tratemos con empatía a los demás, sin
actitudes negativas ni auto destructivas, debemos visualizar y concentrarnos en lo que
podemos aprender de cada circunstancia que nos toque vivir, asumir con compromiso
nuestras metas y generar voluntad para desprenderse de actitudes que nos alejan de vivir
y disfrutar nuestro presente. Aprender de nuestras debilidades se convertirá
eventualmente en nuestra fortaleza.
18 reviews1 follower
December 13, 2009
Excellent book, the only reason not 5 stars is because the writing style is simple, but a simple writing style is effective for what Maxwell is trying to accomplish. He basically convinced me well that mistakes and failures are necessary for creating a successful life, and to not allow them to stop me in my tracks. Also to not avoid avoid taking risks because of fear of failure. Many interesting stories of successful people and all the times they failed and persevered. My only suggestion would be to include a few more every day and ordinary examples, whereas almost every story he includes is a person who is wildly successful, and almost all of them financially. I think there are a number of people who would define success without achieving it financially, such as raising children well or being faithful in loving neighbors or the elderly. However, I think you can easily use all the principals in this book to be successful in the "mundane". I myself, am inspired by this book to have more extravagant goals, and just reading it has helped me approach my daily life with more confidence, because I have less of a fear of failing and excited to see what I can learn through mistakes I make, and how I can grow.
Profile Image for Steven.
Author 12 books
August 1, 2013
This is the type of book that you have to read in little doses to get the full effect. The basics of this book is how we handle failure. Within six chapters of the book I can say that it has impacted my life. The thing that stood out was the fact that how we handle failure is basically up to us. Failure is an inside job, so is success. It’s what happens on the inside, inside of us that determines if we fail forward or backward. The inside, our inner being and how we really look at life. How we handle failure is really how we get by in this life. Failure will either make or break us. Failure is not the end of the world, but how we deal with that failure will determine if it’s the end of us or not. Read the book, take as long as you can and carefully study it as a guide to getting by in a world where failure is often viewed as the end of everything.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 655 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.