Failing Forward
Turning Your Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success

John C. Maxwell

Average Rating 8/10 (1 Review)

The major difference between achieving people and average people is their perception of and response to failure. John C. Maxwell takes a closer look at failure-and reveals that the secret of moving beyond failure is to use it as a lesson and a stepping-stone. He covers the top reasons people fail and shows how to master fear instead of being mastered by it.

Readers will discover that positive benefits can accompany negative experiences - if you have the right attitude. Chock full of action suggestions and real-life stores, Failing Forward is a strategic guide that will help men and women move beyond mistakes to fulfil their potential and achieve success.

Review by Nongmaithem Rakesh Singh (310712) Rating (8/10)

Review by Nongmaithem Rakesh Singh
Rating 8/10
There is an old adage 'Failure is the pillar of success'. This saying has stood the test of time. But when we go through tough time, we often tend to disbelieve the saying. Well, the successful person tends to plod on even when the times are unfavourable and tough. This trait of success separates them from the losers or the average man. This is the gist of the book Failing Forward.

It is written by John C. Maxwell. He is a pastor, a leadership guru, a bestselling author, and moreover a giver of inspiration to many who have lost hope. He is also the founder of the Injoy Group, an organisation dedicated to helping people maximize their personal and leadership potential. You can get only the best possible products from such a multi faceted personality. Indeed the book Failing Forward is such an exceptionally well written book. He has also penned plenary books like The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.

There are legion of qualities that make Failing Forward an avant-garde work. First the subject matter of the book is on failure. There are few books which has failure as its subject. Second, it deals with a serious topic in such a delightful way that you feel awe at the ability of the writer. You will feel delight as you pull along the book. Third, it is a treasure trove of wise saying like "I'm probably a much happier person now having gone through what I've gone through. I have a different set of priorities. You never know who you are and what you are until you've really been tested. You gain a whole lot more from having failure kicked up from around yours ears than success could ever teach you." Or “Failrue is good. It's fertilizer. Everything I've learned about coaching I've learned from making mistakes". Fourth, it is replete with wise epithet. One epithet that I like the most is:-

"Finalize your goal.
Order your plans.
Risk failing by taking action.
Welcome mistakes.
Advance based on your character.
Re-evaluate your progress continually.
Develop new strategies to succeed."

Almost all the citizens of the world want to succeed. But few are successful. The main difference between a winner and a loser is the perception of and response to failure. The successful person has gone through a lot of failure before they became what they are. This, we can know from the stories contained in the book. Famous personalities like Mary Kay, Roger Crawford, Amelia Earhart, George Fandel, etc., have gone through a lot of disappointment before they were successful. You will begin to look at failure from different perspective after reading this book. Moreover, there very new concepts like Peter Principle and Murphy Law. You will be introduced to a whole new concept of training for failure. So, it is one of those books that you can't help yourself but being inspired after reading it.
Nongmaithem Rakesh Singh (31st July 2012)