Failure Is the Beginning of Success

Failure Is the Beginning of Success

Were you fired? A big project or a big sale didn't go your way? You founded a company that didn't make it? If someone told you afterward that this failure would lead you to greater success, they were right — at least that's what scientists have proven.

Research on NIH Grants

In an interesting study published in Nature, a team of scientists from Northwestern University reviewed candidates for National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. They compared scientists who narrowly missed receiving a grant with researchers who were "statistically identical" and barely managed to secure grants. The first group is called "narrow wins," and the second group "near misses." They then tracked each person's career for 10 years.

The researchers predicted that the disappointment of not receiving a grant might be enough to push some scientists onto different career paths or specializations, and they were right. The lack of support meant "more than a 10 percent chance of withdrawing from the NIH." But those who stayed went on to build better careers than their colleagues who received grants.

The Effect After Years

It didn't happen immediately. During the first five years after the grant was awarded, the NIH scientists who barely received their initial grants received them more frequently — not only from the NIH but also from the National Science Foundation — than those who did not obtain that initial funding. But after five years, the difference disappeared, and each group received similar grant amounts. After 10 years, the scientists discovered that those who missed out on an early grant "ultimately published as many papers and, surprisingly, produced work that had a much greater impact than the winning group." Despite early failures, those with more unsuccessful attempts at the beginning outperform those who barely won grants in the long run.

Failure Can Be Good for You

Cause or Effect?

The researchers wondered whether they were observing cause or effect — that is, whether early failure weeded out weaker candidates, leaving only the strong ones, or whether failure itself helped people achieve greater success. To answer this question, they artificially conducted a similar experiment. It turned out that those who experienced early failure significantly outperformed their peers who did not. It was the failure itself — the knowledge and resilience gained from going through it — that contributed to more career successes in the long term.

These results lend credibility to the old saying "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger."

Try to remember that the next time some disappointment appears on your career path. In the short term, it may be disheartening, but in the long term, you will likely achieve more than would have been possible if it had never happened. That failure may mean you will achieve greater success in the years to come.

Summary

Researchers from Northwestern University examined how early failure affects long-term career success. They compared researchers who narrowly missed NIH grants with those who secured them. The latter fared better during the first five years, but after a decade, it was the "near losers" who published work with greater impact.

The key turned out to be the experience of failure itself — it builds resilience and knowledge that pay off later. As the authors ironically note, "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger" is confirmed by the data.