Over my life I have had different experiences where I was so afraid of failing that I hesitated to do something.

When I was younger, it was getting out on the dance floor, asking a girl I liked to go out on a date, or standing in front of folks and talking (yes, that is true especially for a boy who stuttered).

Over time I learned that I was missing out on so many things in life, so I decided that there was one thing worse than failing – that was not experiencing life!

I was reminded of my hesitancy recently while reading a post on LinkedIn about what F.A.I.L. means – First Attempt In Learning!

How many of us have really succeeded the first time we tried something new – hitting a golf ball – playing a guitar – cooking a meal – learning a new skill?

As we get older, are we more afraid of failing? As a young person are we afraid that in trying something new, our fellow Bank employees, family or friends will know that we are not “perfect”?

At our Bank, I hope we create an atmosphere that allows you to fail – for without failure, learning and growth does not occur.

We work in an industry that has changed and which will continue to change immensely.

To truly succeed as a person, as a banker, and as a bank – we must be willing to fail – and that is a good thing.

– Leton

____________________________________________________________________
“Letters From Leton” is a blog series comprised of the weekly updates that Leton Harding – President, Chairman, and CEO of Powell Valley National Bank, shares with the Bank’s team members. These newsletters are full of uplifting anecdotes and intriguing insights that are applicable beyond the Bank, so we want to share them with you.