Making the Most of Career Detours

Achieving success involves learning to navigate failures and obstacles. But challenges, if approached correctly, can actually become a path towards your career development goals.

Learning from Failure

• Blameworthy failure: 70-90% of workplace failure is treated as blameworthy, but only 2-5% is actually blameworthy.
• Praiseworthy failure: Builds creativity, resilience, improvisation and problem-solving skills.

Let Detours Reveal Your Goals

• Many U.S. adults feel dissatisfied at work: 70% feel disengaged, and 90% leave their companies to change jobs.
• Detours help you understand your talents, set goals, develop networks, and learn self-management and self-motivation.

Mistakes Create Better Leaders

Approaching failure as a learning experience can be difficult. However, with an advanced education, like an MBA from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business, and a willingness to learn, you can transform obstacles into opportunities.

• Emotional stability is 2x more important than neuroticism when it comes to job performance.
• Learning from mistakes fosters critical thinking and informed action.
• Mistakes develop leadership, empathy, and trust.

Famous Failures that Led to Success

• Steven Spielberg: rejected from USC School of Theatre, Film, and Television 3 times, later won 3 Academy Awards.
• K. Rowling: refused from publishing houses 12 times, later sold 400M+ books.
• Oprah Winfrey: fired from her job as an evening news reporter, later hosted her own show for 25 seasons.

Knowing how to approach failure is essential to maintaining momentum and reaching your goal. An online MBA degree can help you develop leadership skills and a positive mindset for overcoming and learning from any challenge.

Infographic Sources:

• Psychology Today
• Harvard Busines Review
• Professionals Australia
• Forbes
• Gallup
• Business Insider
• Academy of Management Journal