Why the Right Amount of Failure is Key to Growth

Have you ever noticed that we learn the most when things don’t quite go as planned?

It’s those little setbacks, the moments when we don’t get things perfect, that actually push us forward. But here’s the thing—there’s a sweet spot for failure. Too much can knock our confidence, but too little doesn’t challenge us enough to grow.

A study I love sharing with clients helps because it investigated the ideal rate of failure for optimal learning…

It’s about about 15%.

Yes, 15%! It sounded a terrifying amount when I first read it – my inner perfectionist instinct was “there’s no way I could allow myself to fail that much…”

However the study found, that’s enough to stretch us and make things interesting, but not so much that we end up feeling deflated. When we prepare to fail well and allow ourselves to fail fast, we get immediate feedback on what doesn’t work, which helps us adjust, adapt, and ultimately succeed faster in the long run.

This science study inspired a Tea Break Training postcard I worked on during lockdown. If you remember, everyone was baking bread back then! It struck me that learning and growth are a bit like getting the right balance of yeast in your dough. Bear with…!

Baking and Failing: The Yeast Analogy

Imagine you’re baking a loaf of bread. You need just the right amount of yeast for it to rise perfectly. Here’s how it works:

• Too much yeast: If you add too much yeast, the bread rises rapidly but can’t sustain itself. It expands beyond its structure and then collapses, becoming flat and deflated. It’s the same with us—when we take on too much or fail too frequently, our confidence takes a hit. We start gathering evidence that things keep going wrong, and it can be hard to bounce back. Too much stretch and failure can leave us feeling overextended and ultimately deflated.
• Too little yeast: On the other hand, if you don’t add enough yeast, the loaf won’t rise properly. It ends up dense and heavy, without the elasticity or sponginess that makes bread enjoyable. This is what happens when we avoid any real challenge or risk—we may feel comfortable, but we’re not growing. With too little stretch, we miss out on learning opportunities and end up with slow or stagnant growth.
• The perfect amount of yeast: With just the right amount of yeast, the bread rises beautifully. It has a soft, resilient structure with a satisfying texture. It’s elastic, adaptable, and resilient, able to hold its shape without collapsing.

  That’s what 15% failure does for us. It gives us enough stretch to grow, to learn, and to adapt, while building confidence that we can handle setbacks. When we find this balance, we give ourselves the chance to rise, to build resilience, and to become stronger.

Why 15% Failure Works for Us

So why is 15% the magic number? Here are a few reasons why a small amount of failure does us good:

1. We Build Resilience: Small failures teach us that we can recover and adapt. When we learn to bounce back from minor setbacks, we strengthen our resilience. We start seeing failure as feedback rather than a defeat.
2. Problem-Solving Skills Improve: When we get things wrong occasionally, we’re forced to rethink – when we get things right, we carry on regardless. This ‘circuit break’ to reflect and the trial and error makes us better problem-solvers. Without the pauses to re-set, we’d never experiment with new strategies or find better ways to do things.
3. We Learn Faster by Failing Fast: Our brains are wired to learn from mistakes, and when we fail fast, we get that feedback right away. This quick feedback loop speeds up the learning process. Aiming for perfection can slow us down, but small, quick failures help us move forward faster than we would by playing it safe.
4. It Encourages a Growth Mindset: Embracing failure helps us move away from a fixed mindset (“I’m just not good at this”) to a growth mindset (“I’m getting better, even though I don’t always get it right”). When we see failure as part of the process, we stop being afraid of it.

The 15% Rule in Real-Life Practice

If you buy the idea of the 15% rule and want to try some real-life practise (without blowing up your life or work!) Here are some simple ways to play with the concept:

1. Set Stretch Goals: Aim to challenge yourself with goals that are slightly out of reach. Not so difficult that they feel impossible, but hard enough to make it likely you might trip up here or there. Whether it’s taking on a new responsibility at work or trying a new skill, a little stretch goes a long way.
2. Try Something New: Every now and then, pick up a new hobby or skill that you know you’ll likely be bad at in the beginning. Personally, I’ve done this with surfing, playing guitar, and now ballroom dancing! In the case of the latter I’m still rubbish and I have a public show to do as a surprise to my Mum in just 3 weeks time. I’m a bit scared!  But there’s something really freeing about doing something where you know you’ll fall off the board, hit the wrong note, or step on your own toes (in my case, literally!).
3. Create a Safe-to-Fail Environment: If you’re a leader, this is a big one. Make sure your team knows that small failures are okay and even encouraged. In meetings or brainstorming sessions, try out ideas without the pressure for perfection. When people feel safe to mess up a little, they’re more likely to bring their best and most creative ideas to the table.
4. Reflect and Adjust: Every so often, take stock of how things are going. If you’re nailing everything perfectly, it might be time to raise the bar a bit. If you’re finding that you’re struggling a lot, consider scaling back. It’s all about finding that balance. If you are stretching yourself, share what you are doing with your line manager, a mentor or coach to get support when things do go wrong so you don’t lose heart. It can be easy to talk yourself into fearing your reputation will be dented when you are reflecting alone, when actually everyone on the outside is admiring your nerve and bounce back!

Embracing Failure for What It Is: A Learning Tool

When we start to see failure as a stepping stone rather than a setback, everything changes. The 15% failure rule teaches us that a little bit of failure isn’t just okay—it’s essential. Today’s glitches are setting us up for success tomorrow.

So next time you find yourself tripping up or things don’t go exactly as planned, take a moment to remember that you’re exactly where you need to be.

With just the right amount of failure, we’re on a path to growth, resilience, and success.

References

ScienceDirect Study on Optimal Failure Rate for Learning