Failing Forward is a book written by John Calvin Maxwell. The book was first published in 2000, but has been reprinted several times since then, the most recent being in 2007. John C. Maxwell has aptly built his reputation in speaking and writing due to his powerful insight on the nature and practice of leadership. His powerful deductions are based on well-known universal principles and punctuated by relevant examples of people who have undergone the very things he describes. He is an acclaimed New York Times best-selling author with dozens of books to his name. In Failing Forward , Maxwell delves into the subject of failure offering principles that apply holistically in all contexts of life, but particularly relevant in business and leadership, which is the main reason I chose to read the book.
Maxwell commences his submission by asking some pertinent questions regarding the nature of life, particularly on the propensity of people to succeed or fail. Notably, everyone has failed in something, however small (Maxwell, 2007). Anyone who attempted to build something significant in life has failed hurdles that seemingly curtail their progress (Maxwell, 2007). In life, more people seem to fail than those who seem to succeed. The population of poor people worldwide far supersedes that of the rich and wealth is so unevenly distributed that a minority of people seem to own a majority of the wealth. Maxwell posits that it is not a matter of good fortune or luck, or as he calls it, the Midas touch.
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Maxwell notes that everybody fails, and the successful people fail more often. In fact, the successful people are successful because they failed so often that they learnt from their failures and used those lessons to move forward to their current state of being and execution (Maxwell, 2007). Numerous examples of people are given, all of whom, by their own testimony, have undergone numerous failures, some of which almost turned catastrophic (Maxwell, 2007). Some of these people include Michael Jordan, Mary Kay Ash, Bernie Marcus, Thomas Edison, Sergio Zyman and numerous others, all of whom have achieved enviable feats despite great obstacles.
Maxwell's tone in the book is encouraging and convincing, as he swiftly flows from one concept and example to the next. The content is logically arranged to build on his thesis ensuring that the reader is progressively drawn to Maxwell’s heart on the matter. Moreover, the diction used is simple enough for the average English speaker to understand and the ideas are presented in a simple fashion that is easy to follow. Numerous questions punctuate the discourse in the book, continually engaging the reader and occasionally prompting them to pause and reflect on the matter at hand. This strategy contributes to the effectiveness of the book in changing the reader’s perception of failure, and generating a positive attitude towards it. Notably, Maxwell also avoids giving cliché’ examples of well-known successful individuals but instead takes the reader into the intricate lives of people who were never in the limelight and therefore may not have been known to the reader.
In conclusion, Failing Forward effectively delves into the concept of failure, convincing the reader not only to embrace it, but to expect it. Maxwell’s style makes the book engaging, interesting and immensely satisfying. Moreover, the principles outlined in the book are universally applicable in every domain of life, and if followed, produce an effective leader and pioneer. The authority of the author stems from their passion in leadership exemplified by this and numerous other books he has written, earning him the coveted title of best-selling author. The biggest lesson learnt from the book which covers all other reasons is that failure is to be expected, must be embraced and must be handled as a temporary setback from which we can learn important lessons in our quest towards the imminent success.
Reference
Maxwell, J. C. (2007) Failing Forward. Harper Collings.
