How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
What felt like one of my greatest professional failures at the time turned out to be one of the most important turning points in my life.
I had applied for a lecturing role in another state that seemed perfectly suited to my skills and experience, and I went into the interview expecting that I would be a strong candidate. When they rang a few days later to say I had been unsuccessful, and that the panel had struggled to understand my vision, I was deeply disappointed. Later I discovered that the person appointed was someone I knew, and although it stung, I was genuinely pleased for him; in fact, our friendship grew stronger from that point.
Looking back, that disappointment redirected me in ways I could not then see. I stayed where I was, was offered a better role, and in time moved into executive leadership, which prepared me for the work I do now. It was also better for my family, since an interstate move would have been difficult.
Just as significantly, the experience reshaped the way I approached interviews and vocation. I became less concerned with presenting my own strengths and more concerned with how I might contribute to an organisation’s mission. Looking back, failure did not merely set me up for later success; it taught me to recognise that success itself is deeper, quieter, and more relational than I once thought.
The Afterword 
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