Why Failure Is the Secret Weapon of Champions

"When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender. That is strength" - Arnold Schwarzenegger

When we look at sport, the spotlight usually falls on the medals and trophies. Those picture-perfect moments of triumph. Beaming athletes on the podium seem to dominate headlines, highlight reels and social media feeds.

But what we rarely see - and what often makes those medal-winning moments possible - are the failures that came before. The races, games or shots that unravelled in the moments that mattered most. The times when things didn’t go to plan.

After competing in five Paralympic Games, I’ve learned this truth: failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s the raw material that shapes it. One of my favourite podcasts, 'How to Fail' with Elizabeth Day, explores this idea with guests from all walks of life. Regardless of background or status, every guest says the same: failure has been their greatest teacher.

In leadership, just as in sport, failure is inevitable. The pursuit of ambitious goals carries risk. Leaders will miss targets, lose pitches and face setbacks that feel crushing in the moment. The difference between stagnation and growth lies in how you respond to these setbacks.

Even though my career to date has been on the athletic field of play rather than in the leadership space, here are four lessons about failure that I believe can translate directly to leadership.

1. Failure Demands Deep Introspection

Early in my swimming career, I found myself in a paradox. I became European champion in the October, but a few months later, I failed to qualify for the World Short Course Championships. On paper, I was successful. I had finally made the breakthrough to an international podium, but soon after, I fell short of the next target. That realisation forced me to examine everything: my training, my routines, my choices. It was uncomfortable and it required honesty, humility and tough conversations with my coach.

But it worked. Just six months after the missed opportunity, I qualified for my very first World Championship team and broke the World Record twice that following year.

For leaders: Failure is an invitation to pause and reflect. When a project falters, the easy response is to blame external conditions. The braver move is to look inward: what habits, processes or team dynamics may need rethinking? Honest reflection, when supported by trusted advisors, creates the clarity to move forward.

2. Preparation Doesn’t Eliminate Risk

At the Paris Paralympic Games on the first day of competition, I dominated the start of my heat and looked set to take the desired direct qualification spot with some distance between myself and my competitors. But halfway through the race, my technique collapsed. My tried and tested routines deserted me, even though in the moment I didn't realise just how much things had unravelled. The sheer magnitude of the occasion overwhelmed me and everything started to fall apart. In the span of a race lasting under 60 seconds, there had been so many emotions running under the surface.

Back in the athlete village, close video analysis with my coach identified what hadn't gone as I had practiced day after day in training and I went into the final the next day feeling happy that I would do all I can to make the changes, but acknowledging that I am only human and sometimes despite our best preparation, things can still fall apart. The next day - having weathered that first wave of pressure - I delivered one of the best races of my life and later that day stood on top of the podium, becoming the very first Paralympic champion in the women's VL3 event.

That experience reminded me: no matter how prepared you are, risk of things not going to plan never disappears. Pressure can dismantle even the best-laid plans.

For leaders: Preparation is vital, but it won’t shield you from pressure. High-stakes moments can destabilise even the most confident person. The real skill lies in regaining composure when things wobble. Mental preparation - resilience, presence and rehearsing for the unexpected - is as important as the strategy itself.

3. Focus Inward, Not Outward

At sixteen, I first heard the mantra: “Control the Controllables.” Concern yourself with the things that are actually in your control and let go of the things that are a waste of energy trying to tame. At the time, I was a wide eyed young. athlete, ready to embark on an incredible journey. Over twenty years later, those three little words still have a huge impact on my day to day training.

But at times, I have forgotten them. It can be easy to slip into worrying about every little detail that threatens the success of a plan. There are plenty of times I have still fixated on competitors, weather conditions and external expectations. Even the fear of letting people down has derailed my performances.

My turning point came when I stopped worrying about others and returned my focus to myself: my process, my mindset. Staying present in the moment, using grounding. exercises like focusing on the feel of the water or the paddle in my hand. Self talk is a useful tool in my belt, too. Only in the moments where I have truly focused inwards - 'Why am I here? What are the things which are important to me in this moment? Does all the external noise really matter?' - have I performed to my full potential.

For leaders: Competitors, market conditions, external noise - these are mere distractions. You can’t control them and so much valuable energy can be wasted worrying about them. What you can control is your clarity of purpose, the culture you create and the decisions you make. Anchoring inward keeps you steady when the landscape shifts.

4. Redefine What Failure Means

For years, I equated anything less than victory with failure. As a self confessed perfectionist, a silver medal in the past felt like a failure. Even though I easily recognised and applauded the same achievement of others, I could never acknowledge success in my own performances if it was less than a win or a personal best time.

But over time, and with considerable effort and collaboration with a trusted sports psychologist, I have learned nuance. I've learned to be kinder to myself and to be realistic about the situation I am in at any given time. Reframing the narrative and defining what success truly is has been instrumental in this mindset shift. Sometimes, success isn’t defined by the colour of the medal. It’s about the progress made or sometimes simply showing up despite the challenges you have faced along the way.

This summer, I won a gold and a silver at the World Championships. Years ago, I’d have called that silver a failure. Today, I see it as something to be proud of - proof of resilience after a year of change and adjustment.

For leaders: Missing a target or losing a client isn’t always failure. Sometimes, success is stabilising through turbulence, retaining your team, or handling a crisis with integrity. Redefining success in context frees leaders to recognise the wins inside setbacks.

From the Podium to the Boardroom

Across my twenty year athletic career, my proudest moments aren’t only the medals. They’re the times I've implemented something new after something hasn't gone quite to plan, which. has then fostered growth and betterment. Each setback has sharpened my resilience, refined my focus and reshaped my definition of success.

I use a 6 step framework that has consistently helped me turn failure into fuel for growth. It has guided me through moments of doubt, pressure and change. Each step is designed to shift failure from something that holds you back into something that moves you forward, and they're steps that you can work through easily either by yourself or with a team.

I share the full framework, step by step, in [this video/script], where I explain how each stage works and how you can apply it in your own leadership journey.

Taking the Next Step in Leadership Growth

If this article resonates with you, I’d encourage you to explore it. Or devise your own easy framework to suit your personal strengths to work through when the going gets tough. Because failure will always be part of the journey - but with the right tools, it can become the very thing that sharpens resilience, deepens perspective and helps you come back stronger, in sport, in leadership and in life.

By investing in leadership growth strategies, you’re not just developing individuals—you’re building a future-ready organization.

Leadership is a journey, and every step forward counts. Let’s grow together.

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