How The Goldfish Theory Can Make You Braver
How learning to fail better prepares us for taking smarter risks
Perfectionism stops many of my clients from making decisions and taking action. It has a powerful hold on how we experience leadership, as much as on what we do. It limits who we can become.
The fear of imperfection, or simply not being "good enough," becomes a barrier to our courage. It keeps us stuck in our comfort zones, preventing us from risking failure. But staying safe in those zones means we miss opportunities for growth.
Thomas Curran, a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, has conducted significant research into the impact of perfectionism. His findings shine a light on how the pressure to meet excessively high standards—whether self-imposed or from societal expectations—links to depression, mental health struggles, and is increasingly prevalent in young people.
Let's be honest, we all know how society amplifies that pressure, particularly for women.
Letting go of perfectionism is freeing. It doesn't mean your work will be sloppy, that you're a bad leader, or that you don't care about quality or high standards. What it does mean is that you're prepared to take risks. Risks that, as Amy Edmondson describes, may lead to "intelligent failures." These failures teach us, help us progress, and push us forward.
Whether in personal or professional spheres—whether for yourself, your team, or your organisation—if you're not willing to be braver than you were before, to take calculated risks and accept that the outcome might be less than perfect, you'll stay put, fall behind, or worse, become stagnant.
Failures, when framed as learning experiences, can enhance our performance—whether it’s problem-solving, innovation, or just reducing future mistakes. Research has shown this over and over. There’s even a positive relationship between learning from failure and self-development.
When you are prepared to take smart risks, as Professor Amy Edmondson says, you are opening yourself to the possibility of intelligent failures. Where you are going to learn and progress.
RECOGNISING PERFECTION
We all know someone who clings to perfectionism for comfort, security, or control. Sometimes, it's easier to recognise it in others than in ourselves. But letting go—moving toward limitless, not limited—isn’t easy. It takes courage. The good news is, we all have that courage in abundance.
When you step into a new role and no longer feel the competence you once relied on, the fear creeps in. You used to have all the answers, and now you don’t. You feel like a fraud. How do you adjust to that uncertainty? How do you get comfortable with not knowing?