Professor and author Amy Edmondson’s recent research says that intelligent failures in organizations help us adapt, improve and innovate – as individuals and teams. Leaders who recognize, value and even celebrate failures for the learning opportunities they present, encourage organizational innovation and improvement.
Dr. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School and the author of The Fearless Organization and several books on Teaming. She was ranked first in 2021 and 2023 on the biennial Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers. Her research explores organizational, team and individual behavior, psychological safety, collaboration, innovation, and learning and leadership in complex environments amid challenging problems.
Additional Resources
Dr. Edmondson suggests two additional resources on intelligent failure:
- The Art of Failing Well in Dialogue Review (2/20/24); and
- The Big Idea: Why We Need to Learn to Fail Better in The Guardian (8/28/23).
Dr. Edmondson was previously featured on In Session Episode 13: Creating Psychological Safety. This episode is available on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, the DCN and FJC.gov.
Send your comments, ideas and feedback on this or any In Session episode to FJC Senior Education Specialist Angela Long. For more leadership education for judiciary executives, visit the fjc.dcn/ee.