Failing ForwardTurning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for SuccessBook Review Completed by: Amanda DayJohn C. Maxwell

Maxwells Advice on Failing ForwardValue people. Praise effort. Reward performance (p. 27). To have an opportunity to reach your potential, you must know who you are and face your flaws (p. 93). Be more concerned with what you can give rather than what you can get because giving is truly the highest level of living (p. 109).

Failing Forward StoryGreg Horn, grocery store owner in Cynthiana, Kentucky. In March, 1997, Greg Horns grocery store was flooded in a storm and the company had no insurance to cover the damage.

The Choice: It is what happens within a person that is important. The building was structurally sound and Horn decided to fix the store and reopen at $1 million in costs.

Failing Forward StoryMary Kay Ash, cosmetics company owner During Ashs first career in the corporate world in the 1950s and 1960s, she found it difficult for women to move up. After 25 years in corporate American, Ash began her own business. After many trials and tribulations (Ashs husband passing away, people telling her no), Mary Kay Cosmetics was launched on September 13, 1963.

Today: Over $1 billion in annual sales and 500,000 direct-sales consultants.

Failing Forward StoryBernie Marcus was fired from a do-it-yourself hardware retailer shop in 1978. This let down encouraged Marcus to team up with Arthur Blank and they open their first business in 1979. They named this business The Home Depot.

The Results: The Home Depot today has more than 760 stores and the corporation does more than $30 billion in sales per year.

Closing ThoughtsEncouraging people to look at what has happened in the past, make a choice to learn from it, and grow from these experiences takes courage.

The only way you can get ahead is to fail early, fail often, and fail forward (p. 114).

The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and to failure (p. 2).

References Maxwell, J. C. (2000). Failing forward: Turning mistakes into stepping stones for success. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.