Leading Through Failure: A Lesson in Growth
By Francis O'Connor, MD, MPH COL (ret.) MC, USA
As healthcare leaders, we are often expected to be the bedrock of our institutions, maintaining clinical excellence while navigating immense operational pressures. After decades in medicine—from my early days as a major at Fort Belvoir to my tenure as a department chairman—I have realized that our greatest leadership asset is not a flawless record of success, but the history of our own mistakes. I vividly recall a night in 1993, when I was a junior faculty member facing extreme burnout. The pressure to increase patient access without adding clinicians had pushed me to my breaking point. When I was called into the ER at midnight, my instinct was not to lead, but to complain. I called my chief, COL Charles Henly, ready to vent about the "mission creep" and the impossibility of the workload.
When I arrived at the ER, I found COL Henly already there, working side-by-side with me. He didn’t offer excuses or bureaucratic platitudes; he showed me what servant leadership actually looks like. He taught me that the priority is always to solve the problem at hand first, and only then do we work to address and fix the process. That moment humbled me, and it remains a cornerstone of how I approach leadership today.
Years later, while hosting GEN Dan Allyn, a four-star general, for our medical students, I witnessed another vital lesson in vulnerability. When a student asked, "Sir, over the course of your career, could you share what mistakes you have made that have shaped your leadership style?", he didn't shy away from the question. He responded with wit and honesty, effectively asking if the student wanted him to start from that very morning. It was a powerful moment that humanized the role of leadership, demonstrating that the learning process truly never ends.
I continue to share these stories with students, residents, and young physicians because, in medicine, experience is indeed the best teacher. We must normalize the conversation around failure. By reflecting on our own setbacks and openly sharing them, we create a culture where experience—both successful and failed—is treated as our best instructor. I encourage my fellow leaders to stop hiding their setbacks and start using them as the invaluable growth opportunities they are.
Key Points for New Leaders:
Model Servant Leadership: True leadership requires being present to solve the immediate problem alongside your team before attempting to address systemic process issues. By working side-by-side with staff during crises or periods of high fatigue, leaders demonstrate commitment and earn respect.
Normalize Vulnerability: Culture shifts when senior leaders are open about their own mistakes. When leaders treat their setbacks with honesty and humor, it humanizes their role and validates for junior clinicians that learning is a lifelong pursuit, not a destination.
Reframe Failure as Essential Education: Experience—whether successful or failed—is the most valuable teacher. Leaders should normalize conversations around setbacks, treating them as necessary opportunities for wisdom and resilience rather than evidence of incompetence.