Axel Liebetrau: "Fall down, get up, straighten your crown, and keep going!"

"Fall down, get up, straighten your crown, and keep going!" is the motto of many successful people and the unofficial slogan of a new culture of embracing mistakes. This guiding principle is gaining increasing relevance for companies under the pressure of digitalization. In the past, those who made mistakes or even failed were often ridiculed. However, failing or making mistakes does not necessarily have to be negative. Failure brings insight, maturity, and experience. Especially in projects related to digital transformation, failure and making mistakes are simply part of the process. Only by celebrating successes and being willing to risk failure and mistakes can true innovations emerge and obstacles be overcome. The fear of failure and mistakes often leads to crawling instead of walking upright, and frequently results in companies only copying solutions once someone else has already designed and successfully implemented them. In times of low interest rates, increasing regulation, international competition, and changing customer needs and behaviors, the business sector can no longer afford this approach. The originator of the quote "Fall down, get up, straighten your crown, and keep going!" will likely never be identified. It has evolved from a humorous and probably spontaneous remark into a central guiding principle of a new mindset and a more courageous attitude in management. Some "failures" of the past, who are now very successful managers, are celebrated like pop stars at FuckUp Nights and innovation conferences. Videos of speeches on the topic of making mistakes and failing are viewed by millions on YouTube. These stories of failure and dramatic errors are not only very instructive, but also entertaining and enjoyable. Many companies are currently transitioning from a mindset of "German Angst" to a more courageous approach towards failure and mistakes. "My Mistake in Digitalization Projects - Priming Effect" I was frequently consulted for employee selection in digitalization projects. I made it easy for myself and repeatedly made the same mistake: I preferred younger employees over older ones for project participation. Often, the younger employees were more open and receptive, and I interpreted the restraint of the older employees as less motivated or even reserved. A foolish mistake! Restraint can indeed indicate lower motivation, but it is not automatically the case. The restraint of the other person can have many, including many positive, reasons. It is a clear sign that I need to invest more in information, arguments, and even appreciation. Quick commitment can be a blessing, but also a false friend. Over time, a so-called priming effect occurs in both the "young" and "older" employees. To illustrate the priming effect, the media often uses the well-known example of a math problem for blonde women. If blonde female test subjects are told that blonde women are stupid, they perform worse on the test than if they had not been confronted with this claim. Similar dynamics occur in digitalization projects with young and motivated employees, as well as with older and reserved employees. The motivation of motivated employees and the restraint of fearful employees are reinforced. The false belief that changes and digitalization are dependent on age and generation becomes entrenched. My learning from this mistake: Do not draw too quick or incorrect conclusions based on age, quick commitment, and forced motivation. Companies need to create spaces that challenge and support employees' skills. Employees need individual and tailored communication. One can never give too much appreciation. Taken together, this will shape and ensure positive entrepreneurial development in the upcoming years of change. "New Mindset: Mistakes are good if you learn from them" Companies can learn from penguins: When penguins are hungry, they have to leave the safety of the ice floe and jump into the cold water to hunt for fish. Usually, not a single penguin jumps into the water, but an entire group. Unfortunately, they do not know if a predator like a leopard seal has been waiting under the ice floe for this moment and is now also hunting for food. The penguins would be smarter if, in the face of possible dangers, a single penguin first jumps into the cold water while its fellow penguins patiently wait on the safe ice floe. Once it is clear that no enemy is lurking in hiding, all the other animals follow suit. This way, the community is protected and helps each other. In rapidly changing times, many projects should be tackled simultaneously. However, little is usually learned from mistakes in unsuccessful projects, as they are often concealed by those responsible for fear of repercussions. The consequences are disastrous for the organization. The same mistakes are repeated in future or parallel projects time and time again. A learning organization is not possible. Companies like Google want to break this cycle of mistakes and a few years ago, they established an unusual award, the so-called "Penguin Award". Every employee can present a project that has truly failed. Instead of criticism and ridicule, learning from mistakes and the courage to openly communicate mistakes are rewarded. This is a method and culture from which all companies could learn, provided that brave leaders take the lead and create a positive culture of embracing mistakes. A fear-free environment where not only success factors are sought and successful projects are showcased, but where mistakes are consciously communicated, analyzed, and used for learning. True to the motto; one can learn from mistakes!