Failure Culture: Why Failing in Germany Is Still Risky for Managers
And how leaders can promote a culture of learning
Mistakes happen in every human process — yet in Germany, failure often leads to harsh consequences. While in the U.S. failure is seen as a stepping stone to success, in Germany it’s frequently stigmatized. The result: fear, defensiveness, and stagnation. In times of rapid change, this is a serious disadvantage. So how can leaders embrace mistakes and use them as opportunities to grow?
Why We Avoid Mistakes in Germany
From our earliest school failures, we’re taught in Germany that mistakes are flaws, not learning opportunities. This mindset continues in the workplace: professionals who fail risk losing trust, damaging their careers, or even losing their jobs. Middle management especially tends to shift risky decisions up the hierarchy. The result? Slower innovation, delayed decision-making — with appearances valued more than real progress.
In many German companies, fear of failure still dominates the management culture.
International Role Models for a Healthy Failure Culture
In U.S. startups, tech firms, and venture capital, “failure résumés” are common — where founders and managers document their setbacks and what they’ve learned. This shows accountability, learning agility, and entrepreneurial courage. Scandinavian countries similarly encourage learning from mistakes collectively. In Israel, a trial-and-error mentality fuels innovation.
The result? Competitive advantages through trust, speed, and innovation strength.
What Companies Need Today
Building a true failure culture requires more than empty words — it must be embedded into leadership practice:
- Failure Reports: Teams reflect regularly on failed projects and extract lessons.
- Psychological Safety: Safe spaces where failure can be discussed without fear.
- Leading by Example: Managers share their own mistakes and what they’ve learned.
- Learning Rewards: Celebrate progress through setbacks, not just outcomes.
How Mistakes Lead to Greatness
Historical and modern leaders prove that failure often precedes major breakthroughs:
- Thomas Edison: Needed over 9,000 attempts to invent the lightbulb filament. He saw it as “1,000 ways that don’t work.”
- Steve Jobs: Ousted from Apple in 1985, founded NeXT, and returned to transform Apple.
- Oprah Winfrey: Fired early in her career, she rose to become America’s most influential talk show host.
- Elon Musk: Nearly went bankrupt with Tesla and SpaceX — but pushed forward with extreme resilience.
In contrast, many German companies prefer safety and adaptation — often at the cost of real innovation. A robust failure culture doesn’t glorify failure, but celebrates visible learning and perseverance.
Conclusion & Your Next Step as a Leader
Failure culture is not soft. It’s a powerful management tool. Organizations that actively learn from setbacks grow faster, become more agile, and build resilience. Leadership begins with example:
- Open up: Share your own missteps.
- Create formats for open dialogue — without blame.
- Emphasize: No failure = no progress.
- Design rewards for learning, not just results.
🔧 Want to actively build a culture that learns from failure? Let’s talk:
📞 Phone: 0700 CALL‑BEHR
Title photo: DALL-E by DIKT
