• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Jim Harshaw Jr

Clarity of Action. Peace of Mind.

  • Home
  • About
  • Ted Talk
  • Podcast
  • Training & Coaching
  • Clarity Call
  • Contact

Jim’s TED Talk on Failure

inspirational Ted TalkFailure is a necessary step on the path to success. Delivered at one of the largest TEDx events in the world, Jim’s message shares a path of discovery revealing failure as the path to success.

(Run time: 6:43)

Popular TED Talks have been given by Tony Robbins, David Blaine and Simon Sinek. TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas in the form of short, powerful talks. Independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world.


Jim’s TED Talk on Failure

What is failure? And how does it relate to success? In what is one of the most defining TED Talks on failure, Jim Harshaw Jr. takes on this controversial issue and sheds a fresh, new light on it. 

Within only a few minutes, he tackles the crucial relevance of failure on the ultimate path to true success. In the exact words of Jim Harshaw Jr., failure isn’t just an option, it is an necessary part of success. 

How does this internationally recognized executive life coach arrive at this conclusion? What are the implications of these statements in the event they are true? And ultimately, what does this mean to your life, business and family goals and aspirations? 

With only a few words, all of these secrets are laid bare in one of the best TED Talks on failure you’ll find on the internet. 

Defining and Redefining the Concept of Success 

The very first thing that Jim does is define the concept of success in the way most people have come to perceive it before redefining it in relation to failure. 

Using his career as a successful athlete to illustrate, Jim chronicles how he almost attained his greatest dream as an athlete on three separate occasions only to be denied. He explains in detail how this ordeal affected him on a truly profound level and highlighted the conclusions it forced him to draw. 

In a field that is so highly competitive and demanding, he explains in great detail how he gave his all and seemed to get absolutely nothing in return. 

This is where he also introduces the traditional definition of success, the one everyone seems so familiar with and children are taught at school. 

Most people have come to consider success as never failing, always getting or achieving the goal that they set out for the first go around. 

While this definition of success is not only predominant but attractive, Jim lets the world understand that it is far from true. In fact, holding yourself to such a strict and limited opinion of success can have a negative impact as it stops you from learning and understanding the things you truly need to succeed. 

Moving further, Jim narrates how his fourth encounter with the same challenge finally helped in deciphering the secret to true, lasting success. Through  his previous experience of failure and disappointment and with the aid of a coach whose constant voice of reasoning kept him on track, he was able to truly dig deep and overcome what should’ve been insurmountable odds. 

He points out that that achievement would’ve been unattainable had he not gone through failure as a process. Failure was a necessary step to the success achieved. 

 

Fully Understanding the Role of Failure on the Journey to Success

“Whether you’ve been passed over at work multiple times for a promotion, or you were rejected from your first college of choice or maybe you’ve seen failure and have been let down in even worse areas. Whatever it was, I want you to understand that failure is an inevitable part of life, even for the most successful people on the planet. In fact, it is a necessary step on the path to success.”

These were the words of Jim Harshaw Jr., a man who has been at his lowest and still fought his way back to top because he was able to glean the secrets of the most accomplished individuals in the world today. 

His lesson rings loud and clear. It isn’t that great people don’t experience failure, it’s that they learn the right lessons from it and use that experience to become a greater and better version of themselves. 

To fear failure is to fear change. Yet, it is only through constantly changing, improving and fine tuning your knowledge and skill set can you truly achieve the goals you’ve laid out for yourself. 

The founder of IBM, Tom Watson captured this sentiment perfectly when he made the famous statement, “If you want to double your success rate, double your failure rate.”

This statement remains ever true because it fully captures the fact that success isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. A big part of that journey is failure. When seen for what it is, failure isn’t to be feared but embraced. This is because more than anything else, it helps you see the world through clearer eyes. It pushes you to the peak and compels you to draw on the reservoir of resources nestled deep within you to be the best you can be. 

Success alone is empty. It is failure that puts it in the right perspective. 

The Winning Mindset

In this eye opening TED Talk on failure, Jim advocates the necessity of failure for cultivating a winning mindset. 

The ability to not just take failure in stride but turn it into a driving force to accomplish your goals is what distinguishes the truly successful from the average individual. 

Jim strongly believes that failure isn’t to be feared, avoided or despised. Rather, it’s to be embraced and celebrated because it often serves as a clear indicator you’re doing something right. 

This popular TED Talk on failure emphasizes the need to cultivate the right mindset towards failure. Learning the right lessons from a failed attempt and using that to leverage your success on the next attempt is the ultimate trick to how successful people stay successful. 

The results are worthy of envy but the process can be trying and demanding. Preparing for all that failure has to throw at you and resolving to stay your course is how you turn things around in your personal and business life.

This talk, considered by some the all-time best TED Talk on failure, and what it has to offer you are worth hearing. Listen to it and grasp the message in what was said and the many more things left unsaid. Realize the potential inherent in failure and channel that energy toward putting your life firmly on the path the to success. 

Latest Posts

“The Cancel Culture Curse” author crisis PR guru from Red Banyan, Evan Nierman (Success Through Failure podcast episode #423: )

#423 The Truth About Cancel Culture with Evan Nierman: Navigating the New Age Witch Hunt

Cancel culture isn’t just for the rich and famous— the next victim could be YOU 🫵🏻  When you think about Cancel Culture, you might picture it going after big names like Dave Chappelle, J.K. Rowling, or Stephen Colbert. But here’s the truth— it can hit regular folks like you and me! Like a 21st-century witch […]

A man creating/writing a diagram showing the benefits of coaching (Success Through Failure podcast episode #422 Coaching Myths Exposed: Behind the Scenes of What It's Like to Have a Coach)

#422 Coaching Myths Exposed: Behind the Scenes of What It’s Like to Have a Coach

What do top performers have in common? They all believe in the power of coaching aka the ultimate success formula. Some people think having a personal coach is like having a paid friend who nods at everything you say. Spoiler alert: we do more than nod, we also point and sometimes even wave our arms […]

Psychologist, "The Perfection Trap" Author Tom Curran (Success Through Failure podcast episode #421 Outsmarting Perfectionism: The Hidden Costs of Self-Sabotage and How to Beat It with Thomas Curran)

#421 Outsmarting Perfectionism: The Hidden Costs of Self-Sabotage and How to Beat It with Thomas Curran

Shocking truths about perfectionism and performance.  Are you stuck in the relentless pursuit of perfection, always aiming for that flawless outcome? Do you hesitate to take action, move forward, or take a risk for fear of failure? Join me in this episode of the Success Through Failure podcast as I chat with Thomas Curran, the […]

A photo of the word "legacy" from a dictionary (Success Through Failure podcast episode 420: What's Your Legacy? 9 Ways to Leave Your Mark on the World)

#420 What’s Your Legacy? 9 Ways to Leave Your Mark on the World

What do you want to be remembered for? How will your legacy live on after you’re gone?  You know the story: hustling hard, chasing dreams, and pushing for progress. But have you ever taken a moment to think about the legacy you’ll be leaving behind? Well, that’s what we’re diving into in this episode. I’m […]

Founder of Mockingbird Ministries David Zahl (Success Through Failure podcast episode 419: Reframing the Truth About Human Nature with David Zahl)

#419 Reframing the Truth About Human Nature with David Zahl

Picture a world where you’re not measured by your flawlessness but celebrated for your quirks and imperfections. Imagine a view of success that doesn’t revolve around perfection or the constant pursuit of flawless achievements. In today’s episode, I sit down with David Zahl, a nationally renowned author and speaker where we’ll delve into a groundbreaking […]

Like What You See?

Want To Learn More about working with a personal performance coach or executive life coach? Contact me

Charlottesville, Va

About me

Jim Harshaw Jr is a personal performance coach and executive life coach who helps people create the systems, habits, and routines of elite performers through his exclusive program called Reveal Your Path.
Learn more.

Connect with Jim

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · JIMHARSHAWJR.COM