EPISODE · Dec 11, 2023 · 51 MIN
The Military Approach to Learning from Failure with George A. Milton
from My Favorite Mistake: Learning Without Blame in Business and Leadership · host Mark Graban
Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #240 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is George A. Milton, America’s Failure Coach. George is the CEO of Failure Is Not The Problem, LLC, a consulting company that specializes in leadership development and training, life coaching, and motivational speaking. He is a United States Army Retired Colonel with over 30 years of experience as an internationally known Coach, and Speaker. George failed kindergarten, failed the first grade, barely graduated from high school dropped out/failed out of six universities. George had some academic failures early in life, yet, he went on to earn multiple degrees, and was inducted into the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame. His podcast is “Failure is Not the Problem,” and he’s the author of the books Failure Is Not The Problem: It's the Beginning Of Your Success and Failure Is Not the Problem: It's Your Leadership. In the military, failure is seen as the starting point for learning rather than a devastating setback. This mindset, which was ingrained in Milton during his three decades of military service, emphasizes resilience and adaptability forged through failure. By providing supportive mentorship rather than punitive consequences, he showcases how the military fosters a culture of learning from mistakes. We discuss that, his favorite mistake story, and more in today's episode. Questions and Topics: How did you learn – was it in the Army – about responding to failure differently? “It’s not the failure… it’s the response” — ARMY mentor Was that widespread thinking? YES Equation: Failure + Right Response = Success How is punishment counterproductive? Punitive approach didn’t work as well in units where that was the culture Failure is not the issue, the issue is how you respond? How does an organization make it “OK to fail”? Team of Teams — Gen. McChrystal In your experience… what was the Army’s views on learning from failure? Gen. Welton Chase episode How do we teach leaders how to “fail graciously”? How can failing be “fun”? Does that help us learn? The act of failing does not mean you are a failure
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What this episode covers
George A. Milton, retired U.S. Army Colonel and known as “America’s Failure Coach,” shares how the military views failure as a powerful learning tool rather than a career-ending event. Drawing from more than 30 years of service, George explains how leaders are trained to respond to failure with reflection, coaching, and growth—not punishment. In this episode, we discuss his personal journey through academic failure, the Army’s approach to psychological safety, and why “failure plus the right response equals success.” George offers practical leadership lessons that apply far beyond the military, especially for organizations trying to create cultures where learning and improvement thrive.
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The Military Approach to Learning from Failure with George A. Milton
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