"Great innovators don't fear failure. They build on it. In this pragmatic guide, Danner and Coopersmith tell you how to think about failure in a positive way and use it to create value."
WALTER ISAACSON, President, Aspen Institute, former Chairman/CEO, CNN, bestselling biographer
"Danner and Coopersmith show you how to change your relationship with failure. Start putting this book to work before you make another move if you want to succeed."
GUY KAWASAKI, startup guru and business evangelist
"Whether you're a hardened CEO or a rising star, don't overlook failure. It might point the way to your next high–impact venture or where you ought to pivot. Danner and Coopersmith have translated their decades of experience with startup, mid–size, and global businesses into a practical and creative executive's guide."
LINDA ROTTENBERG, cofounder and CEO, Endeavor
"This book offers valuable perspective and an excellent guide to Silicon Valley's unique global advantage: acceptance and embrace of failure. It tells you 'everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask' about failure and success."
VIVEK WADHAWA, Stanford, Duke, and Singularity University
"Executives today need the no–nonsense, practical insights The Other "F" Word delivers on how you can leverage failure to inform and even inspire your organization. And since failure knows no boundaries, this book promises to be a vital resource for intelligent leaders everywhere."
TAMMY ERICKSON, London Business School fellow, award–winning author
"A lifetime in high–risk environments has taught me that failure can be an extraordinarily rich source of success. So take Danner and Coopersmith's spot–on advice: Don't just fail, learn. Don't just learn, grow. The Other "F" Word shows you how, with a great deal to offer even the most canny executives."
SCOTT DELMAN, Tony Award–winning producer, The Book of Mormon
"Being afraid to fail means you'll be afraid to try. Playing it safe gets you nowhere. That's why the Lean Startup embraces failure as a key resource. Whether entrepreneur or executive, you can use this essential book to harness failure to get the results you want."
STEVE BLANK, father of the Lean Startup movement
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Preface: A Book About a Topic Nobody Wants to Talk About xvii
Chapter 1 What s in It for Me? Your Personal Guided Book Tour 1
PART I What: The Facts and Facets of Failure 11
Chapter 2 The Other F Word: Failure Is Such a Loaded Word 13
Chapter 3 The Gravity of Failure and Failure s Gravity 21
Chapter 4 Defining Failure: Mistakes and Unwelcome Outcomes That Matter 27
Chapter 5 Fear and Memory: Failure s Force Multipliers 37
PART II When and Where: How Failure Appears at Different Organizational Phases 47
Chapter 6 Start–Ups: Launching Your Venture in the Land of Failure 49
Your Role: Passionate Convincer
Chapter 7 Keep–Ups: Surviving and Thriving After You Meet Payroll 67
Your Role: Confident Juggler
Chapter 8 Grown–Ups: Dodging the Oxymoron of Big Company Agility 81
Your Role: Trusted Colleague
PART III How: Using the Failure Value Cycle to Advance Your Organization 97
Chapter 9 The Failure Value Cycle: Seven Stages Where You Can Leverage or Flunk Failure 99
Chapter 10 Stage One Respect: Acknowledge the Gravity of Failure 103
Your Role: Straight Talker
Chapter 11 Stage Two Rehearse: It s Not Just About Fire Drills 121
Your Role: Tenacious Coach
Chapter 12 Stage Three Recognize: Pick Up the Signals of Failure Earlier 131
Your Role: Watchful Monitor
Chapter 13 Stage Four React: Deal with It! 143
Your Role: Team Captain
Chapter 14 Stage Five Reflect: Turn Failure from a Regret to a Resource 153
Your Role: Inquisitive Student
Chapter 15 Stage Six Rebound: Retake the Initiative 165
Your Role: Field General
Chapter 16 Stage Seven Remember: Embed Failure Savvy in Your Culture 173
Your Role: Proud Storyteller
Chapter 17 The Failure Value Report Card: A Practical Tool to Help You Put Failure to Work 183
PART IV Now: Put the Other F Word to Work 193
Chapter 18 Creating the Failure–Savvy Organization 195
Chapter 19 Escape the Gravity of Failure: Leading the Fallible Organization 209
Afterword by China Gorman, CEO, Great Place to Work Institute 213
Appendix Our Classrooms: Putting Failure to Work in Creating Value 215
Acknowledgments 225
About the Authors 227
Notes 229
Index 249
Presenting The Other F Word Keynote 259
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MARK COOPERSMITH is a corporate executive, entrepreneur, strategic advisor, and professor. A Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, he teaches innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership to students and executives from around the world. He has built and run global businesses for Sony and Newell Rubbermaid, has launched successful Silicon Valley startups, and speaks often to audiences internationally. He and his family live in Tiburon, CA.
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