May 12, 2026

Is failure inevitable? Yes!

Show Notes
Transcript

Join me for a discussion with Fiona Macaulay on how to bounce back from failure and be even better. Fiona is a master at what to do when the inevitable happens. Her tips and insights are profound. Her global experience adds a whole new dimension. Look forward to seeing you soon.

NEXT! is broadcast live Tuesdays at 9AM ET and Music on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). NEXT! is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).

NEXT! Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/next--6825610/support.

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.319
The topics and opinions expressed and the following show are

2
00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:03.960
solely those of the hosts and their guests and not

3
00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:06.879
those of W FORCY Radio. It's employees are affiliates. We

4
00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:10.000
make no recommendations or endorsements for radio show programs, services,

5
00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:12.439
or products mentioned on air or on our web. No

6
00:00:12.519 --> 00:00:15.439
liability explicit or implied she'll be extended to W FOURCY

7
00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:18.239
Radio or its employees or affiliates. Any questions or comments

8
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:20.480
should be directed to those show hosts. Thank you for

9
00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:31.960
choosing W FOURCY Radio.

10
00:00:45.719 --> 00:00:49.119
Hello everybody, thanks for joining again, and I'm just so

11
00:00:49.240 --> 00:00:53.920
excited to have the show again. Actually, I just was

12
00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:59.200
in Washington, d C. With Fiona mcaulay and her great

13
00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:04.840
book Bounce Back and Aim Higher, and we had a

14
00:01:04.920 --> 00:01:09.959
group of phenomenal women from all over the world talking about, frankly,

15
00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:14.519
their failures, because you can learn a lot about failures,

16
00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:17.719
and some people they'll just curl up and go away

17
00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:21.400
and they won't keep trying. Every one of these women

18
00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:27.280
that spoke, including Fiona, had failures, and frankly, we all

19
00:01:27.319 --> 00:01:28.120
have failures.

20
00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:31.120
The question is what do we do about them?

21
00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:36.200
Do we make our next chapter about the failure, or

22
00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:40.400
do we try to aim higher, bounce back and learn

23
00:01:40.439 --> 00:01:44.319
from it. And I would say, bounce back and learn

24
00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:47.879
from it. And here's Fiona giving you the details of

25
00:01:47.959 --> 00:01:52.719
all of this. Thanks so much for listening, Hilinda. Fiona, Hey,

26
00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:55.400
it's great to be here with you. All right, So

27
00:01:55.840 --> 00:01:58.680
tell us about a bunch of stuff I want to

28
00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:00.159
talk to you about. But how did you did you

29
00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:02.799
get into this in the first places? Such a great

30
00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:04.400
entrepreneurial background.

31
00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:08.120
I worked in the global development industry for twenty five years,

32
00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:12.080
and that's the industry which works towards access to clean

33
00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:18.319
water overseas, gender equity, access to healthcare, helping communities grow

34
00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:22.120
climate resistant agriculture. And what I saw, Linda, I had

35
00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:24.639
the privilege of working in about fifty different countries and

36
00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:27.840
worked with hundreds of different organizations. When I was able

37
00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:31.520
to peek into all those organizations, what I saw over

38
00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:36.199
and over again is that there was women professionals who

39
00:02:36.280 --> 00:02:39.919
wanted to move into positions of greater leadership so they

40
00:02:39.919 --> 00:02:43.120
could have more power and influence and have an even

41
00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:45.639
greater impact in the work that they were doing and

42
00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:49.080
supporting others to do, and that much of the time

43
00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:51.199
they were really doing the bulk of the work, but

44
00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:53.840
they did not have that formal leadership.

45
00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:57.439
Position or authority. Oh yeah right, for two reasons.

46
00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:01.199
One structural because you know, the jobs were not good,

47
00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:02.439
the jobs were more likely to.

48
00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:03.159
Go to men.

49
00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:07.280
And still are Fiona well and still are You know?

50
00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:10.840
In global health eighty percent of the people who work

51
00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:13.919
in global health are women, but they only hold twenty

52
00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:18.120
percent of the leadership positions. Amazing statistic, right, the data

53
00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:21.280
speaks for itself. And so I started the WILD Network

54
00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:26.000
Women for Impactful Leadership Development to support purpose driven women

55
00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:31.879
around the globe, so across America, Canada, Mexico, Sub Saharan, Africa, Asia,

56
00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:35.039
Middle East, really women around the Europe, women around the

57
00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:39.199
globe to be able to be even more impactful leaders

58
00:03:39.240 --> 00:03:43.120
than they already are by curating content both to support

59
00:03:43.319 --> 00:03:50.120
organizations and industries to promote more inclusive leadership opportunities and

60
00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:54.439
also to support women to step into their full leadership potential.

61
00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:58.400
Wow, how many years has WILD been going on? A

62
00:03:58.439 --> 00:04:01.439
long time? I know, But well we're.

63
00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:04.159
Coming up on a decade. So we'll be doing our

64
00:04:04.280 --> 00:04:07.879
ninth Leadership for Social Impact Forum, which is we do

65
00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:10.840
an in person conference in DC every year in May.

66
00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:12.919
I'm going, Yeah, that's right.

67
00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:13.960
I'm so excited to.

68
00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:14.719
Have you there, Linda.

69
00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:18.199
And that's the thing. That's what's so exciting I think

70
00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:22.040
about this community is that we have women like yourself

71
00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:25.360
who have been leading in the inclusive leadership space in

72
00:04:25.399 --> 00:04:26.639
the US for decades.

73
00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:29.240
Will have a lot.

74
00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:32.800
Of certified leadership coaches who come from across America to attend.

75
00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:36.680
We also have women coming from different parts of the

76
00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:39.279
globe who want to be there in person. And then

77
00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:42.560
we have people from across the Greater Washington d C. Virginia,

78
00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:46.399
Maryland area who identify as being a purpose driven leader.

79
00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:49.120
Whether they're working for Coca Cola or working for Save

80
00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:52.399
the Children or working for the US government, if they're

81
00:04:52.439 --> 00:04:55.680
working for positive social change, they really belong in the

82
00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:58.040
Wild Network and we would love to have them there

83
00:04:58.560 --> 00:04:59.959
at the Leadership for Social Impact.

84
00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:03.279
So you do, I mean just because you go to

85
00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:05.120
the forum, it's not over there.

86
00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:08.439
There is a lot of other things that go into

87
00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:13.360
that form actually after you actually participate, right, Fiona.

88
00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:15.319
Well, exactly, because as you and I both know, Linda,

89
00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:19.079
you know, being an impactful leader, it really is a journey.

90
00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:21.839
I think most of us wake up every day, wanting

91
00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:24.360
to be you know, the best leader, the most supportive

92
00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:27.759
leader that we can be, and then things happen right

93
00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:31.079
where you like, have time constraints, or somebody says something

94
00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:33.240
or write something to us that kind of like throws

95
00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:36.040
us off, and maybe we're more impatient than we wish

96
00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:40.480
we were, or we are not taking a calculated risk,

97
00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:42.959
but we want to be taking right. We're all working

98
00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:46.160
on our leadership skills all the time. The best leaders

99
00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:49.959
are and so we feel we know actually from the

100
00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:53.759
research that coming together being with other like minded people

101
00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:58.279
committed to leadership development inspires us and fuels us. And

102
00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:03.560
when we layer on leadership competencies, that helps us to

103
00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:06.879
kind of maintain and even you know, become stronger leaders.

104
00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:10.480
And the one day is really important. We also realize

105
00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:12.279
that people want to stay in community.

106
00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:15.040
Yes, absolutely, So.

107
00:06:15.079 --> 00:06:17.240
For example, you know, you and I have a wonderful

108
00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:22.480
friend and colleague, Morag Barrett, and every year she generously

109
00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:26.560
does a session one month after the leadership conference. He

110
00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:30.240
does a session that's about how to take small steps

111
00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:32.959
towards ambitious goals. Because you know how it is you

112
00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:34.519
go to a conference and you do leave with a

113
00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:36.519
notepad or a phone full of things you want to do,

114
00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:39.120
people you're going to follow up with, and then you know,

115
00:06:39.639 --> 00:06:42.160
you get, as I say, like to misquote Muhammad Ali,

116
00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:43.839
you get like punched in the face by the by

117
00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:46.480
your email inbox. Right, you don't get into all those things.

118
00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:49.480
And so what we do is we reconnect the community

119
00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:53.079
a month after the event to reconnect people to their

120
00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:56.040
goals and then break down. Okay, how can you take

121
00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:00.439
small steps towards these ambitious goals, because that's the cops we.

122
00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:04.120
All need, right, absolutely, well, we used to do, you know,

123
00:07:04.160 --> 00:07:07.439
the thirty sixty ninety day, you know, follow up with people,

124
00:07:07.480 --> 00:07:09.800
because that happens with executives too. You know, you're in

125
00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:13.399
a company and you take people through these phenomenal leadership development,

126
00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:16.839
inspiring things and then they go back into the same

127
00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:21.040
old workplace and it's gone. So you really do have

128
00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:24.040
to you really do need that follow up on a

129
00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:26.560
regular basis. But I want to I want to jump

130
00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:32.519
forward to your Santiago, your Comino Walk, tell us about that.

131
00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:36.639
That's so I'm so bummed I can't go this year, Linda.

132
00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:38.839
I'm looking forward to having you on the next chapter.

133
00:07:38.920 --> 00:07:42.680
Accelerator to me in a walking Retreat in twenty twenty seven,

134
00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:43.920
so we'll put it in the books.

135
00:07:44.199 --> 00:07:44.920
Absolutely.

136
00:07:45.480 --> 00:07:46.160
So I am.

137
00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:50.600
I'm now in solidly middle aged like in my early fifties,

138
00:07:51.160 --> 00:07:54.639
and I went through a big transition when I sold

139
00:07:54.680 --> 00:07:57.920
my first social enterprise almost a decade ago. So in

140
00:07:57.959 --> 00:08:00.720
my mid forth I had been I had founded this

141
00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:03.399
company in my mid twenties, and so for almost twenty

142
00:08:03.480 --> 00:08:07.720
years had been scaling a social enterprise, and I was

143
00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:10.439
ready to think new things and do new things and

144
00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:14.519
spend time with new people, specifically focusing on boarding purpose

145
00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:17.240
driven women and their leadership journeys. And I was also

146
00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:19.959
interested in teaching and the leading business. So the time

147
00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:22.600
was right for me to sell that company. Up until

148
00:08:22.600 --> 00:08:24.920
the day that it sold, I had been busy being

149
00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:28.800
the CEO. I had been busy managing this confidential sale process,

150
00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:30.959
and I hadn't given much thought to what the next

151
00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:33.759
chapter would be, except for I knew I wanted to

152
00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:36.320
be doing those different things. And I remember the day

153
00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:40.000
after the sale went through, sitting on my couch being like,

154
00:08:40.360 --> 00:08:41.480
how do I do you know?

155
00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:44.000
Oh mg? Oh mg?

156
00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:47.200
And as someone who was used to having power and

157
00:08:47.240 --> 00:08:50.200
status comes from the you know, being the CEO, of

158
00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:52.799
a successful, well regarded company.

159
00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:55.120
You know, no inbox, no.

160
00:08:55.159 --> 00:08:59.639
Speaking engagements, no pressing deadlines. And I think I'm voicing

161
00:08:59.639 --> 00:09:03.120
what a lot of leaders in transition have experience. Though

162
00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:05.480
baby doesn't get set out loud very much. I think

163
00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:10.600
you're absolutely right. So, but what I learned through that

164
00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:13.960
journey of then making that transition to becoming an adjunct

165
00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:17.720
professor at Georgetown University's Business School also an entrepreneur presence

166
00:09:17.799 --> 00:09:21.559
there starting the Wild Network is that there was three

167
00:09:21.639 --> 00:09:25.120
things that you really need to make a successful transition

168
00:09:25.399 --> 00:09:30.759
and to enjoy it. One is community. It's lonely to

169
00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:34.200
try and like figure out all these options by yourself

170
00:09:34.360 --> 00:09:36.279
and and to go through.

171
00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:36.879
Such a change.

172
00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:40.960
So having a community of people who are also seeking

173
00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:42.960
to make this kind of change, or have made or

174
00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:45.799
are making this kind of change. The second thing is

175
00:09:45.960 --> 00:09:49.480
a process, because in a way, the world is your oyster.

176
00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.440
You know, you've also spent several decades at that pot time,

177
00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:56.559
you know, building up your reputation and your skills and

178
00:09:56.679 --> 00:10:01.480
your network. Having a process about how to leverage all

179
00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:03.480
of those things, but at the same time not be

180
00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:10.720
trapped by them is really critical, essential, essential, and accountability.

181
00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:15.279
So when a friend and colleague of mine started the

182
00:10:15.320 --> 00:10:18.120
Next Chapter Accelerator two years ago. I had had that

183
00:10:18.200 --> 00:10:21.639
experience of transitioning as an entrepreneur. She had had the

184
00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:26.200
transitioning of working for thirty years at Accenture and with

185
00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:30.559
that managing director. When she left, she also faced kind

186
00:10:30.600 --> 00:10:34.799
of similar challenges and opportunities, and so we came together

187
00:10:34.919 --> 00:10:39.159
to develop the Next Chapter Accelerator. And the main event

188
00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:41.799
that we do, we run it once a year is

189
00:10:42.120 --> 00:10:45.000
as a walking retreat on the Camino de Santiago, which

190
00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.960
is a historical pilgrimage trail, and we do we do

191
00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:50.120
a leg of that trail in northern.

192
00:10:49.759 --> 00:10:52.840
Spain, which is our many leaders bucket list.

193
00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:56.720
So we can also do custom retreats, but the one

194
00:10:56.759 --> 00:10:58.159
that we do that's open is at the end of

195
00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:02.679
September early October every year, and we're offering those things

196
00:11:02.679 --> 00:11:06.399
that I mentioned. So it's an incredible group of accomplished women,

197
00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:10.679
like ambitious, successful women who are I think fall into

198
00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:13.600
these different categories. Yes, and you can tell me, Linda,

199
00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:16.159
which one resonates with you. So it's women who are

200
00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:18.360
looking for the next big job, like they're in a

201
00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:20.799
big job and they want one more big job probably

202
00:11:20.840 --> 00:11:21.960
before they down gear.

203
00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:23.639
It's women who are in.

204
00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:26.320
A big job and they want to really take a

205
00:11:26.360 --> 00:11:28.519
fresh look at that so they can really leave their

206
00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:31.000
mark and have the greatest impact possible. So it's kind

207
00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:34.919
of rejuvenating your approach to your current big job. There's

208
00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:37.480
people who want to move into a portfolio career, so

209
00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:39.919
they want more control over their time a little bit

210
00:11:39.960 --> 00:11:42.440
like I was doing, perhaps like I wanted to teach,

211
00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:45.639
I wanted to start this not for profit, or these

212
00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:49.000
people who want to have a very very active retirement,

213
00:11:49.399 --> 00:11:51.919
so they're probably moving into a position where they want

214
00:11:51.960 --> 00:11:55.080
to maybe sit on a couple of boards maybe, right,

215
00:11:55.799 --> 00:11:56.360
And so.

216
00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:00.639
We have to do a radio show, yoh show.

217
00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:03.480
So Linda, I'm curious, like as I kind of talked

218
00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:07.200
about those people who are in transition, successful career women

219
00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:10.840
in transition, what like what transition would you say you

220
00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:12.360
had made? Well?

221
00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:15.720
Truthfully, I mean I was doing fine up until the pandemic,

222
00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.279
because you know, I was a public speaker as you

223
00:12:17.320 --> 00:12:19.720
well know, and Morag and I wrote a book together,

224
00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:25.440
and so it was it was Thinkers fifty this year

225
00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:29.039
that you were at where Linda Gratton made a comment

226
00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:31.720
about how much longer we all were going to live,

227
00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:33.759
and you know, you need to think about what is

228
00:12:33.799 --> 00:12:36.399
it that you're going to be you know, is going

229
00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:38.799
to be exciting for you. And that's when I said,

230
00:12:38.840 --> 00:12:42.080
you know, I sort of moved into retirement. Just like

231
00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:44.399
Marshall who said he was going to retire.

232
00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:45.000
He hasn't retired.

233
00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:47.759
And I said, you know, I just have too much

234
00:12:47.799 --> 00:12:51.080
more that I want to connect and do stuff around,

235
00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:52.960
so I would put myself in the latter phase.

236
00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:54.240
From a career perspective.

237
00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:57.399
I'm excited about everything and this is this show is

238
00:12:57.440 --> 00:12:58.679
not about me, it's about you.

239
00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:00.879
But I do think that.

240
00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:04.639
People need that kind of reflection and that's why this

241
00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.679
this walk is so important.

242
00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:08.759
I think, Yeah, I think so too.

243
00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:12.320
And you know, it is very meaningful to just be

244
00:13:12.440 --> 00:13:14.000
on this historic pilgrimage trail.

245
00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:15.879
Some people who have.

246
00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:17.960
Been in our group have been religious, many people not,

247
00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:21.200
or people of different religions. But you know, you're just

248
00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:24.759
walking on steps that people have been taking for thousands

249
00:13:24.799 --> 00:13:27.480
of years who are also seeking something yea.

250
00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:28.639
And when you're.

251
00:13:28.519 --> 00:13:30.519
Getting up in the morning in sort of like a

252
00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:34.480
small you know, a small family run hotel in the

253
00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:36.720
morning and you're putting on your walking clothes and lacing

254
00:13:36.840 --> 00:13:40.440
up your boots. You're just having these really honest conversations.

255
00:13:40.519 --> 00:13:42.799
Right you're literally away from it all, and you're having

256
00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.759
incredibly honest conversations about what it is that you really want,

257
00:13:45.840 --> 00:13:47.519
what you really want to change, what you want to

258
00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:52.320
leave behind, you know, on the Camino. And as we

259
00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:56.279
were saying earlier, that progress the program doesn't just end

260
00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.600
with the after our walking retreat on the Camino. We

261
00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:03.039
can you to have monthly check ins with a group.

262
00:14:03.080 --> 00:14:06.279
There's some coaching component and in fact, just next week

263
00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:10.320
I'm going out to Houston for the Houston Rodeo with

264
00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:15.600
the call is on the Camino last last September because

265
00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:17.759
a number of them were from Houston, and they've invited

266
00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:20.279
the Canadians and women from all the parts of states

267
00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:23.080
to come to Houston to spend a long weekend together

268
00:14:23.720 --> 00:14:27.440
a workshop where people are going to be opening up

269
00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:32.440
letters that they wrote elves last October, very cool elves

270
00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:34.480
like what's important to you, what do you want to

271
00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:36.320
make sure you're moving towards? What do you want to

272
00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:39.399
leave behind? So their letters are going to be arriving

273
00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.320
in the mail in the next few days and then

274
00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:44.600
next week, we're going to have a morning workshop, touching

275
00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:47.720
base with those goals, talking about what's changed, talking about

276
00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:51.120
what we're recommitting to, and then enjoying some nice meals

277
00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:53.200
and the excitement of the Houston Rodeo.

278
00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:56.759
That sounds great. I love that. I absolutely love that.

279
00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:58.639
Now you know, I don't want to I don't want

280
00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:01.720
to get out of this show without hearing about your Aim,

281
00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:03.720
High and bounce Back.

282
00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:07.320
Your book that actually just came out yesterday? Was it yesterday?

283
00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:08.440
In the day before yesterday?

284
00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:12.240
I think, yeah, we're we're just a congratulations yeah.

285
00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:14.559
So, and of course we'll have lots of copies of

286
00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:17.679
it up in New York. Yes, So tell the audience

287
00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:19.840
about your book and what they can get from it.

288
00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:20.919
Thank you, Linda.

289
00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:24.559
So it's Aim, Hype and bounce Back, a Successful Woman

290
00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:28.519
Leader's guide to rethinking and rising up from failure. And

291
00:15:29.159 --> 00:15:31.759
this book has never been more important. I think these messages,

292
00:15:31.799 --> 00:15:34.879
these frameworks and strategies have never been important because we

293
00:15:34.919 --> 00:15:38.279
need leaders out there making their greatest contributions.

294
00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:38.840
YEP.

295
00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:44.399
Leaders are facing setbacks, mistakes, failures, disappointments all the time.

296
00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:47.879
I feel you admire write people in your circle, people

297
00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:51.360
you see on social media who look like they're succeeding.

298
00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:53.600
I want you to know that they are having some

299
00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:56.519
kind of failure right now, every single one of them,

300
00:15:56.759 --> 00:15:58.960
every single one of us, and Linda, in a second,

301
00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:00.039
I'd love you to weigh in it.

302
00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:01.960
Something you feel like you're failing at.

303
00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:06.440
I don't book, I don't know well, but.

304
00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:09.360
I'll tell you the reason that I wrote this book

305
00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:13.879
is because within the Wild Network in twenty twenty one,

306
00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:18.039
I launched something called the Leadership fail Lab, where we

307
00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:23.159
invited very successful women to talk about a massive failure

308
00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:27.000
they were responsible for, really get into how gutting that

309
00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:29.360
was for them, and then to talk about how they

310
00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:32.399
came out of it and what the lessons are that

311
00:16:32.440 --> 00:16:35.440
they have drawn out for themselves and for all of us.

312
00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:37.559
So, Linda, a question for you.

313
00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:40.720
We had one five hundred women from over one hundred

314
00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:44.399
countries participating in our virtual Leadership for Social Impact Forum.

315
00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:48.440
We had five of these very successful women talking about

316
00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:52.600
a major flop they were responsible for. The chat blew

317
00:16:52.679 --> 00:16:56.960
up and what do you think? The most common comments were, Oh,

318
00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:58.320
that's an interesting question.

319
00:16:58.759 --> 00:17:02.559
I think it probably was not taking a risk when

320
00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:06.279
they should have. There's something along the along those lines.

321
00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:10.200
Yeah, now we're facing into what the situation was and

322
00:17:10.279 --> 00:17:11.319
not taking the risk.

323
00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.880
Yeah, yes, you're absolutely right. And many many comments were

324
00:17:15.880 --> 00:17:18.720
saying that and saying like me too, Oh my gosh,

325
00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:21.880
me too, me too, me too, me too. And what

326
00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:25.119
I observed in that Leadership fail Lab and then the

327
00:17:25.160 --> 00:17:28.480
others we've done since then, is that women really want

328
00:17:28.519 --> 00:17:32.200
to talk about their failures. And it's incredibly liberating. It

329
00:17:32.279 --> 00:17:36.000
gives you permission to talk about your failure when other women,

330
00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:38.920
you know, as I say, successful by any measure, are

331
00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:41.160
going first and talking about their failures.

332
00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:44.880
Yep. And here, I think is another thing, just being

333
00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:47.200
afraid that if you do it, you're going.

334
00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:48.920
To fail one hundred percent.

335
00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:51.359
And I'm so glad you bring that up, because in

336
00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:53.319
the book, my co author and I felt like it

337
00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:55.240
was important to be clear on like, what are we

338
00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:57.200
talking about when we're talking about failure.

339
00:17:57.559 --> 00:17:58.480
So we broke down.

340
00:17:58.599 --> 00:18:01.519
So we actually did a survey and we had to

341
00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:05.200
over a thousand women respond in about thirty days. Again,

342
00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:08.039
just another signal that women wanted to talk about failure.

343
00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:10.839
And we identified five types of failure. So I'll bring

344
00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:12.920
a couple of those up. Let me start with the

345
00:18:12.920 --> 00:18:14.440
one you just mentioned, and we.

346
00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:17.279
Should do this relatively quickly, Fiona. Quick.

347
00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:19.119
So paralysis like.

348
00:18:19.279 --> 00:18:22.920
Where you're more, You're want You know something needs to

349
00:18:22.920 --> 00:18:24.559
be done, you want to be the one to do it.

350
00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:27.799
This maybe an entrepreneurial venture you want to start, or

351
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:29.960
you want to put yourself out there for something, but

352
00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:34.279
you are not taking action on it because you are

353
00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:38.720
so afraid you might not be successful. So you've failed

354
00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:41.440
before you even start, because the fear of failing is

355
00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:44.440
keeping you from moving forward. And those women out there

356
00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:47.440
who you see succeeding like launching businesses or ventures or

357
00:18:47.480 --> 00:18:51.279
podcasts or like your radio show, Linda, I just want

358
00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:54.920
to leave them with this message, like, go ahead and experiment,

359
00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:58.119
go ahead and take small steps towards your ambitious goal

360
00:18:58.599 --> 00:19:01.720
because rather you try and it not go exactly as

361
00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:03.920
you'd hoped, rather than not try it all.

362
00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:05.880
Yeah, great point, great point.

363
00:19:06.720 --> 00:19:09.599
So Fiona, how do well? First of all, hold your

364
00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:11.759
book up again? Because people need to buy this book.

365
00:19:12.039 --> 00:19:15.319
I mean, it is fabulous. I ordered it and I

366
00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:17.319
can't wait to read it cover to cover. But I

367
00:19:17.400 --> 00:19:19.400
know all about it because we've been talking about it

368
00:19:19.400 --> 00:19:21.880
for a while. But how do people get a hold

369
00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:25.039
of you, you know, I mean you need to spread

370
00:19:25.079 --> 00:19:31.200
your message in every major corporation and major groups around

371
00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:33.000
the world. And how did people get a hold of you?

372
00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:37.920
Thanks for asking. So I have taken the frameworks and

373
00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:43.400
very practical takeaways and stories for this book, plus additional ones,

374
00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:48.880
and have a sixty minute interactive keynote that has been

375
00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:52.200
incredibly popular with audiences. People talk about fail want to

376
00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:55.680
talk about failure, women, men, really all leaders because everyone's failing,

377
00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:57.519
as I say all the time, and most of us

378
00:19:57.559 --> 00:20:00.359
are keeping that close. Many of us have a lot

379
00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:01.680
of shame around it, and many of.

380
00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:03.039
Them don't know what to do about it.

381
00:20:03.319 --> 00:20:04.920
Don't know what to do about it, and you're not

382
00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:08.079
making your biggest contribution. Your team is not making their

383
00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:12.079
biggest contribution because they need to improve their relationship with failure.

384
00:20:12.519 --> 00:20:15.960
So I would love to come to your organization be

385
00:20:16.039 --> 00:20:18.359
able to lead you through this interactive keynote, or we

386
00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:20.759
can do a half day workshop together. And the best

387
00:20:20.759 --> 00:20:24.480
way to find me is at Iona McAuley dot com.

388
00:20:24.759 --> 00:20:26.319
PULLI is a bit of a bear, so I'm gonna

389
00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:30.400
spell it. Let's spell McAuley like Macaulay Culkin child Star

390
00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:35.240
from the eighties ac A U l A y so

391
00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:38.279
ay yeah dot com, So Fiona, f I O n

392
00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:44.240
A M A c A U l a y dot com.

393
00:20:43.240 --> 00:20:47.200
And I would love to hear from folks. Whatever the

394
00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:49.960
size of event you're doing. These messages are so important.

395
00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:53.759
The demand for them is so universal, and it would

396
00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.920

Is failure inevitable? Yes!

Listen On

Recent Episodes