What if the very thing you are trying hardest to avoid is the doorway to becoming unshakable?
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I sit down with Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School professor and the thinker behind psychological safety, to reframe how we see failure. Amy has spent decades studying leadership, teamwork, and learning in organizations, and in this conversation, she brings her newest body of work into sharp focus. Together, we unpack the three distinct types of failure and why only one of them truly moves us forward.
Amy challenges the simplistic messages we often hear, either that failure is unacceptable or that we should fail fast and fail often. Instead, she offers a more grounded framework. There are basic failures that can and should be prevented. There are complex failures that emerge from systems and unpredictability. And then there are intelligent failures, the thoughtful experiments in new territory that help us grow, innovate, and build resilience. If we are not experiencing some intelligent failures, we are likely playing it too safe.
We also talk about what becoming unshakable really means in today’s world. Amy describes it as being anchored in values while everything around us shifts. With technological change, geopolitical instability, and workplace uncertainty, resilience is no longer optional. It is a daily practice. And that practice begins with self-awareness.
One of the most practical takeaways from our conversation is Amy’s “stop, challenge, choose” framework. When anxiety spikes or the inner critic gets loud, pause. Challenge the story you are telling yourself. Then choose a response that aligns with your values and long-term goals. It sounds simple, but it is powerful. It is how we move from spiraling into the pit of despair to taking the next small step forward.
Amy also shares vulnerable moments from her own journey, including the early years of her PhD when she felt certain she would not make it. What carried her through was not perfection, but perspective. A willingness to question her own catastrophic thinking. The courage to ask for help. The discipline to focus on what she could control in that moment.
For those of you who feel like you are barely hanging on, this conversation is for you. We talk about the importance of protecting time on your calendar as a real commitment, even when that commitment is to yourself. We explore how unlearning the automatic “yes” can be an act of integrity. And we return again and again to one grounding truth: you only ever have to take the next step.
Failure is inevitable. But how we interpret it determines whether it shakes us or strengthens us.
As you listen, consider this: where might you need to reclassify a failure in your own life? And what would change if you saw it as an intelligent experiment instead of a verdict on who you are?
Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. She is the author of 7 books and over 60 scholarly papers, published in academic and management outlets, such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, and Harvard Business Review. She is a sought-after keynote speaker with a worldwide following.
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About Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP
Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm. After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over: When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work. Book Heather to speak at your event or organization.
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