Celebrating Failure

A Tale of Two Failures

Two big on-field failures in the NFL playoff games recently point to lessons for leaders. The first was in the Chicago Bears versus Philadelphia Eagles game where the Bears were driving with just seconds on the game clock and they sent out kicker, Cody Parkey, to win the game with an attempted 43-yard field goal. Parkey’s kick hit the left goal post and then the cross bar, and bounced back on the field—"The Double Doink”—and the Bears lost.

The second “failure” was similar in drama and impact during the Eagles versus New Orleans Saints game. The score was Saints 20 and Eagles 14, and the Eagles were driving to put game-winning points on the board late in the fourth quarter. Eagles’ Quarterback Nick Foles threw a pass to star receiver Alshon Jeffery. The ball went through Jeffery’s hands and was caught by the Saints' defensive back. The interception decided the game in the Saints' favor.

Both players took accountability for their misses. In the Eagles' case, Alshon Jeffery had been one of their best and most reliable receivers. He was credited for crucial play during the 2018 Super Bowl. Immediately after the game, Jeffery told the media, "I let my teammates down, the city of Philadelphia, that's on me. I'll take that.” Eagles fans rallied around their star receiver. As reported in Sports Illustrated online, “Following the play, Foles' coach Doug Pederson and other members of the team consoled Jeffery on the sidelines. And after the game, players spoke up to defend Jeffery.”

The Bears and their fans were not so enthusiastic about defending kicker, Cody Parkey who had missed eight field goal attempts and three extra points during the season. On the Today Show, last week, he said “football is what I do, it's not who I am”. The fact that he went on the Today Show actually caused more consternation with management. Coach Mike Nagy is quoted in Sporting News, “We talk about ‘we’ instead of ‘me.’ I didn’t think it was a ‘we’ thing,” Nagy said of the interview. Now media articles are speculating about Parkey being released by the Bears.

Perhaps Parkey was dealing with a gremlin, one of those subconscious inner block factors that introduces self-doubt. Many of us have these gremlins as we try to achieve success at work or in our personal lives. It's that little voice that says “I can’t do this” or "I’m not good enough". These blockers are based on events of the past and managers may see these gremlins manifested as a lack of enthusiasm, lack of drive, or low energy.

Coaching can help employees identify gremlins and deal with them in ways that are effective and allows them to move on to achieve success they never would have thought possible. Winston Churchill once said “success consists of going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.” Don’t let gremlins kill your enthusiasm.