Fail Forward Fast

Culture waits for no one. If you want to stay relevant in a constantly evolving marketplace, then your mantra needs to be centered on immediate adoption of the things that drive your audience. Ask yourself: What does my audience desire the most? What social media platforms are they engaging with the most? Where are they, what are they doing, and how can I do it with them … right now?

Our world is too fast to wait on you to figure these answers out. No amount of meetings will help you find these answers. You need to have these answers already identified and a plan in place to begin implementation. If you don’t, then you’re likely to be left on the side of the road with your audience not even looking back in the rear view mirror.

How can you meet your audience right where they are at and become an early adopter before it’s too late to reach them? It’s not easy, but there is a strategy for doing it. If you want to stay in flow with your audience, you must fail forward fast. Here’s what that looks like:

Fail

Never be afraid to fail. Too many solid leaders never make the leap because they are too afraid of what may or may not end up happening. If you are too afraid too fail, you’ll never get out of that comfortable office chair and into the new space where you can lead more. Great leader fail, and fail often. Their stories of failure cause inspiration. They help others learn along the way. No one ever hopped on a bike and started riding. They learned with training wheels, but eventually those wheels came off. What is holding you back from making the leap? Why are you so afraid to fail?

Forward

There are three types of leaders: those that are good with where they are at, those that want to make the leap but never do, and those that make the leap. Which leader are you? Are you held back by the fear of the unknown and the comfort your current position affords you? These are the kinds of leaders that no one remembers a year after they’re gone. But if you’re willing o buck the trend and become a different type of leader, you can learn to leap often, and become known as someone who is willing to risk it all for the sake of positive growth. Once you have that nailed down, you can make the transition from a leader who fails often to a leader who fails forward often. This is the type of leader who is constantly learning from their failures, making themselves and those around them better along the way. Good leaders learn, while bad leaders give up. Be willing to risk it all and learn along the way.

Fast

Your audience waits for no one. They are constantly on the hunt for the next best thing. This is the reality of the world we live in, for better or for worse. Your job as a leader is to push through the adoption process and change as culture does. That way you can act according to your audience from a position of leadership, instead of reacting from a position of weakness. Those who know, grow. They do. They listen to the shifting seas as it ebbs and flows. It’s time for you to listen, learn, and lead.

The church is entrusted with the most important message the universe has ever seen. It cannot wait for the church to become relevant. Its leaders must lead from the front, risk failure, and become all things to all people, to reach the people God has called them to.

Step out of the office and fail forward, fast! You’ve got a mission to accomplish. If we can help you along the way, drop us a note below in the comments section. Until then, know that we’ve got your back and are praying for you.