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Failing Forward cover art

Failing Forward

Written by: John C. Maxwell
Narrated by: Henry O. Arnold,John Maxwell
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Publisher's Summary

The major difference between achieving people and average people is their perception of and response to failure. John C. Maxwell takes a closer look at failure - and reveals that the secret of moving beyond failure is to use it as a lesson and a stepping-stone. He covers the top reasons people fail and shows how to master fear instead of being mastered by it. Listeners will discover that positive benefits can accompany negative experiences - if you have the right attitude. 

Chock full of action suggestions and real-life stores, Failing Forward is a strategic guide that will help men and women move beyond mistakes to fulfill their potential and achieve success.

©2007 John C. Maxwell (P)2020 HarperCollins Leadership

What listeners say about Failing Forward

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Learn how to see failure as success

This book will teach you how to overcome your failure and you will see failure from another perspective.

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1 person found this helpful

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Amazing book… lots of really good gems 💎💎💎

This a book that will go on my favorites list. It’s something i know i’ll listen to at least once a year. Well worth the time. And i got it on sale!!! Bonus. I love audible. 😍

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Great self improvement book.

Great book to read because it explains simple fact that failure is part of becoming successful. It gives many examples of people who failed many times on the road to success.

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Amazing book

Amazing book ever…can’t wait to restart this book again. Thank you John Maxwell for all the amazing examples provided in this beautiful book.

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  • Derrick B.
  • 2020-03-27

Failing Upward

I I think this is what the title should be. This book has been enlightening and enabled me to move in a different direction in life than I have before!

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5 people found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2020-03-14

Great author

Have read his leadership book and now this wonderful book. Maxwell is a great author. His knowledge is powerful, enlightening and motivating. I strongly recommend him to anyone who needs leadership skills or taking a journey in business which they are afraid.



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  • Roxanne
  • 2020-10-26

Helpful book!

This book taught me how to view failures - that is, as part of the success journey. It helped me to realise that one should not internalise failures but learn from them, accept responsibility where necessary, and move forward.

The examples of real life persons who would have moved beyond repeated failures was also inspiring. The chapter on the top ten reasons people fail was also insightful.

Fail early, fail often, fail forward...

A recommended read!

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  • Shelley
  • 2022-03-12

Excellent book for entrepreneurs and leaders

I listened to this book after taking a course on how to move my nonprofit forward. Anyone in a position of leadership should read this book because, as the great Peter Parker once said, with great power comes great responsibility. And with great responsibility comes the opportunity to fail and make mistakes. The question you have to ask yourself is how will you respond when you fail? Will you allow that failure to cause you to quit and walk away from your dream or will you use it as momentum to pick yourself up, change what needs to be changed and continue to move forward? I have always been a firm believer in self-awareness and self-improvement. In order to be a successful leader, we have to be able to look inward and be willing to be an agent of change and that change usually starts within us. This book beautifully outlines how to fail forward... how to see failure as success as you pursue your purpose. The book was engaging and relatable and I never lost interest; not to the very end! I would recommend this book to anyone who is pursuing a dream or who is afraid of stepping out in faith because of the fear of failure... the fear of "what if..."

By shifting your mindset and looking at your failures as a successful part of the journey towards achieving your purpose in life, then it makes it easier to take that leap into the unknown. As John Maxwell points out in the book, set yourself a failure quota. Look forward to your mistakes, knowing that you will learn and grow from them!

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  • Kate
  • 2021-05-15

One of the best books I have ever read and listened to.

The audible version is SO poignant and direct, clear and concise. I found myself stopping to take notes on a consistent basis and I will be reading it again and recommending it to my friends and family who have businesses or want to grow as a person, in general. FIVE MILLION STARS ACROSS THE BOARD!

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  • Elena Bielinyte
  • 2020-08-26

Brilliant, specific and concrete

Another great book from John Maxwell. Great layout: steps are easy to follow, stories are relevant and illustrative.
The only issue with the audio book is that the reader doesn't always make breaks between different thought blocks, which can be confusing as you aren't always sure if it's the same thought that continues or a new one.

But other than that - great, practical steps for taking control of your life. Definitely reading this again soon.

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  • Placeholder
  • 2020-08-08

A Great Learning Experience

I so thank John Maxwell for this great learning experience. I have learned so much about my own life while reading this book. I now have a clearer vision of my purpose in life. I understand that ‘failure is not final’

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  • Jack Coquillon
  • 2020-05-04

great book, i recommend it to everyone

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is looking to change the way the perceive failure. It's a great read.

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  • Cristal L. Saxon
  • 2023-11-30

The great stories that I learned from

I liked the whole book and I loved being able to listen while I work

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  • Gonzalo Senosiain
  • 2023-09-22

Very interesting way to see things

Great reader, great book and very inspiriting

If you are not sure about a project or about why you are failing, read this book

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