A lot of people think the best leaders seldom fail.  That’s why they desperately work to hide each failure and expose success.  And yet, nothing inspires others more than seeing someone overcome failure.  We must dispel the idea that strong people never fail.  Journalist Richard J. Needham noted, “Strong people make as many ghastly mistakes as weak people.  The difference is strong people admit them, laugh at them, learn from them.  That’s how they become strong.”  Powerful insight!

David’s Mighty Men Weren’t Always Mighty

David’s Mighty Men provide a great example.  Did you know they weren’t always “mighty?”  In II Samuel 22:2 it says of these men, “All those who were in distress or debt or discontented gathered around him (David), and he became their leader.”

For whatever reason these future mighty men hadn’t succeeded in King Saul’s army.  They hadn’t done well in any facet of life. They had been thrown into the meat grinder of life and emerged emotionally and mentally minced.  They had suffered a string of financial and relational failures.  Yet, when God inspired the writing of their story, He didn’t cover up their bleak history, He magnified it.

Powerful People Overcome Failure

These men grew strong because they learned how, by God’s grace, to overcome failure.  And if you want to exercise leadership at home, work, and in your community—allow others to see you fail.  The fact is—those closest to you already know you fail. They’re watching to see how quickly you get back up. If you pretend you didn’t stumble, or minimize what happened, or allow failure to strip away your dreams, they’ll also learn from that.

Lead Through Failure

Wives, children, fellow-workers, and friends don’t need to see perfection in you.  They need to see an authentic person who’s in process. One who admits when they stumble, gets up, wipes off the dust, and moves on with unyielding determination.