Something that resonated with me is a quote that Leah (our YES program instructor) shared with us on our first workshop titled Disney’s Leadership Strategies.  “If you are not failing, you are not learning.”  This is a phrase that Costuming Operations Manager, Steve Zimmerman, tells his team on a regular basis and that we should hear more often in our organizations.

Some of the most successful people we know have failed many times before they made a big discovery and turned their failures into a huge success.  Walt Disney is an example of someone who failed a couple of times before he became successful.  In my opinion failure is absolutely necessary to succeeding.  Unfortunately, from a very young age we are encouraged to be risk-averse by rewarding us if we conform to an expected set of guidelines rather than rewarding us for doing something silly and/or different.  Yet, experimentation is what fosters creativity.  We must change that mentality and encourage younger generations to exhibit traits that are conducive to creativity - experimentation, trying new things, curiosity, putting ourselves out there, and losing fear of failure.

-Jeymi