Making Failure Work: Smart, Strategic & Forward-Looking
In this workshop, Arvind Lodaya and Prof. Sourav Mukherji from IIM Bangalore guide us through the art of failing smartly, failing forward, and building organizations that thrive through learning, not despite, but because of failure. Drawing from real-world examples, personal reflections, and systems thinking, the speakers unpack why failure is often stigmatized and how reframing it can fuel innovation, resilience, and social impact.
From comparing aviation and healthcare industries to exploring the mental models that shape organizational behavior, the session challenges attendees to rethink failure as a spectrum and not a binary. It delves into the emotional, systemic, and cultural blocks that prevent learning from mistakes and advocates for designing “intelligent failures” as a means of discovery. Prof. Mukherji draws on academic research and case studies, while Arvind Lodaya takes a philosophical yet grounded approach, integrating ideas from nature, design, and social entrepreneurship.
The workshop culminates in a collective call: remain true to your purpose, stay small if needed, and scale only if you can preserve quality and values. Failing forward, in this context, is not about chasing success – it’s about deep reflection, embracing impermanence, and ensuring that each fall plants a seed for broader change.
