John Maxwell: The REAL Reason You’re Afraid to Fail

👇 SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL - so this show can reach more people 👇 @edmylettshow Click the Link Below to Subscribe to my email list to MAXOUT your life (all value, no fluff) https://konect.to/edmylett Click the link below to come see me speak live and use promo code "ED30" for 30% off! https://lifesurge.com Start paying bills the smart way, not the hard way at https://QuickBooks.com/billpay. Terms apply. Money movement services are provided by Intuit Payments Inc., licensed as a Money Transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services What if the very thing you’ve been avoiding your entire life is actually the key to unlocking your greatest success? In this conversation with John Maxwell, we go deep on something every single one of you deals with, but almost nobody has mastered… failure. And I’ve got to tell you, this one hit me personally. John has been a mentor, a friend, and someone I look up to in a way that’s hard to even put into words. So when we sat down to talk about his new work on failure, I knew this wasn’t going to be surface-level. This is the real stuff that defines your life. John breaks down why most people never even get in the game. It’s not a lack of talent. It’s not a lack of opportunity. It’s that they haven’t gotten over themselves. That fear of looking bad, of being judged, of failing publicly… it keeps people stuck in the bleachers. And one of the most powerful distinctions we talk about is this idea of a “good miss” versus a “bad miss.” Because failure itself isn’t what defines you, your response to it is. That alone could change your entire life if you really take it in. We also unpack something I’ve never heard explained this way before. Success and failure are meant to be together. You separate them, and you lose. When you’re winning, failure keeps you humble. When you’re struggling, success gives you resilience. That balance is where growth actually happens. And John shares how reframing failure from a liability into an asset completely transformed not just his career, but his entire perspective on life. This episode is also about leadership. About how you lead your family, your team, and yourself through setbacks. John made it clear that when successful people talk about their failures, it gives everyone else permission to keep going. It encourages people. It lifts them. And I had to check myself in this conversation too, because the truth is, when we only show our wins, we might actually be discouraging the very people we’re trying to help. If you’ve been holding back, playing it safe, or letting the fear of failure control your decisions, this is the episode you need right now. This isn’t just about failure. It’s about freedom. Key Takeaways: Why fear of failure is really about ego and how to break free from it The difference between a “good miss” and a “bad miss” and why your response matters most How keeping success and failure together builds both humility and resilience Why failure should move you, not define you or make you comfortable How great leaders use their failures to inspire and develop others The mindset shift that turns failure from a liability into your greatest asset 0:00 – Introduction 3:22 – What Failure Really Means: Reframing the Word 5:09 – The Better Question: Failure as a Tool for Growth 5:36 – Perspective Is Everything: The Foundation of Return on Failure 6:52 – Fear of Failure Is Really Fear of What Others Think 7:27 – Get Over Yourself: The Bleachers vs. the Game 11:46 – Keep Failure and Success Together 16:04 – John Maxwell's Growth at 78: The Power of a Learning Mindset 18:24 – John's Obsession With Learning and Never Arriving 19:36 – Success Has No Finish Line, The Journey Mindset 24:26 – Good Miss vs. Bad Miss – Your Response Defines the Failure 26:23 – Adjustments vs. Excuses: The Two Paths After Failure 27:44 – How to Lead Others Through Failure 31:58 – John's Halftime Pivot: Growing His Team at 40 34:35 – Leaders Must Admit Mistakes: The Culture of Failure Avoidance 38:26 – Don't Become Comfortable With Failure, It Should Move You 40:03 – What the Bible Says About Failure 44:28 – I Want More FOR You Than FROM You: Helping Others Succeed 46:47 – John’s New Book: How To Get A Return On Failure Thank you for watching this video—Please Share it and get the word out! 👇 SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL👇 @edmylettshow ▶︎ Visit My WEBSITE | https://www.EdMylett.com #EdMylett #Motivation