Are You Willing to Risk the Flop
The other morning, I was making sunny-side-up eggs. They looked a little undercooked on top and I was in a hurry, so I thought I could speed things up. I tried something I had absolutely no business trying. You know that dramatic, restaurant-style pan flip you see chefs do. One smooth flick of the wrist and the food flips over perfectly.
Except I am not a chef.
I went for it anyway.
The flip turned into a full-on launch. One egg stayed in the pan, broken and definitely not flipped. The other slid down my white kitchen cabinets, leaving a bright yellow trail all the way to the floor. I stood there holding the pan, staring at the disaster I had created, laughing at myself and thinking, “What was I doing?”
And then another thought arrived.
A deeper one.
This is exactly how we learn to flip anything in life. A business. A belief. A habit. A relationship. A whole life. None of it changes without some willingness to risk the flop.
Embracing the Flop: The Truth About Leadership Growth Through Failure
Every person who looks polished today once made a mess on their own kitchen floor. Every leader who seems confident and composed once did something awkward, uncertain, or imperfect. Every masterful move began as a ridiculous attempt.
We forget this because we live in a world that rewards the finished product. We applaud the smooth execution. We praise the calm and the capable. Yet the truth is simple. Leadership growth through failure is not optional. It is required.
Progress is rarely neat. It is often sticky.
And sometimes it slides right down your cabinets.
Why Perfection Holds Leaders Back
Most leaders want certainty. They want to get it right the first time. They want proof that the choice they are making is the correct one before they make it. That kind of thinking feels safe, but it is also the thing that slows growth the most.
Perfectionism is just fear wearing better clothes.
It tells you that the safest choice is to stay still.
It convinces you that a small mess is a sign you should not have tried at all.
But ask any leader who has built something meaningful and they will tell you the same thing. The biggest breakthroughs came after a flop. A risk. A moment of “I am not sure how this will go, but I am going to try.”
The Real Question Leaders Should Ask
The question is not:
“Will I get it right?”
The real question is:
“Am I willing to make a mess in the name of growth?”
Am I willing to try something before I feel ready?
Am I willing to look imperfect while I figure it out?
Am I willing to be seen in the in-between, where nothing looks polished yet?
Because that is the place where real leadership growth happens.
Flops Are Feedback, Not Failure
If you are willing to risk the flop, you open the door to feedback, learning, resilience, innovation, and confidence. You discover what works and what does not. You learn what needs refinement. You build the kind of courage that only comes from trying.
You cannot grow without friction.
You cannot expand without experimentation.
And you cannot become a stronger, wiser, more grounded leader without being willing to wipe an egg off your cabinets from time to time.
Are You Willing to Risk the Flop?
At Frame of Mind Coaching®, we work with leaders who want to grow, stretch, and step into the next version of themselves. That growth does not come from perfection. It comes from a willingness to challenge old beliefs, test new ideas, and take imperfect action.
If you are ready to explore what leadership growth through failure looks like for you, we would love to talk.
This is where transformation begins.
Book a conversation with a coach today and start flipping what matters most.
