LEADING THROUGH FAILURE
Failure is something we generally avoid. During academic year 2019-2020, though, Scholars took part in a new Roan initiative we called “The Failure Project,” which challenged them to redefine their relationship to the concept of failure. Along the way, they learned about the power of setting big goals, working through disappointment, and responding with resilience.
People crave success – so, admittedly, there were some skeptical looks among Scholars and Roan supporters when “The Failure Project” was announced in Fall 2019. Roan staff heard feedback such as, “I really don’t like the term ‘failure.’” “You are asking us to try to fail?” “Aren’t we a program that emphasizes excellence?” Trying to fail was not the goal. Instead, Roan staff challenged each Scholar to apply for at least one competitive opportunity over the course of the academic year that even with a best effort the Scholar was unlikely to receive. Scholars were encouraged to think about highly competitive internships, jobs, grants, awards, and other honors, but also opportunities where success or failure was to some extent predicated on chance. “This is a program that seeks young leaders who, at an early age, already have exceptional records of accomplishment,” says Roan Director Scott Jeffress. “For most, rejection or failure has not been a common part of their experience.” “When you have such a record of success, it may be tempting to ‘play it safe,’” says Roan Assistant Director Jennifer Axsom Adler. “The Failure Project was designed so that as a group we could work through setting high goals and, equally important, build our resilience in the face of rejection.” Visualizing goals for The Failure Project was an important part of the experience. Roan staff transformed a wall in the Roan office into “The Failure Wall,” featuring each Scholar’s picture, plus sticky notes with goals and deadlines. The sticky notes quickly grew in number, and posted goals often inspired new goals for other Scholars.
16 | ROAN ANNUAL REPORT 2019-2020
