Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well
by Amy C. Edmondson
368 pages, Atria Books (2023)
Find a copy:
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I requested an early review copy of Right Kind of Wrong from NetGalley back in late 2023 and then promptly let it sit on my virtual bookshelf while life and deadlines took over. Recently, I borrowed a physical copy from my local library and finally settled in to read. Some might call my delay a failure, a missed opportunity to share timely thoughts. I prefer to believe that books are there when we are truly ready for them. Now was the right moment for Amy Edmondson’s message to resonate with me.
Known for her work on psychological safety, Edmonson asks us to pause and confront our ingrained fear of mistakes. She begins with a definition of failure, then guides the reader through its many forms. Starting with preventable slip-ups to the unavoidable surprises of complex systems. Then she goes further to intelligent failures, those experiments in novel experiences that yield new knowledge. Drawing on stories from hospitals refining surgical checklists, flight crews debriefing near misses, and families experimenting with new routines, she shows that the worst disasters rarely stem from a perfect storm. Instead, they erupt when we silence voices, avoid hard conversations, and let shame take hold.
What makes Right Kind of Wrong stand out is its dual invitation: these lessons are applicable both in your professional life and around your kitchen table. Readers familiar with Grit by Angela Duckworth, The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande and Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman will find much that feels familiar and this book as a logical next step. Edmondson’s focus is novel (in book format), on how to embrace failure as a source of creativity and resilience, which is what makes it stand out. These titles are not a pre-requisite to her guidance, they enhance and build on each other.
Failure isn’t the enemy; fear of it is. Edmondson shows the reader how to build environments and teams where questions are welcome, there’s a ritual of debriefing, and pivots are celebrated as progress. If you’re leading a team through a complex project or helping a child figure out how the world works, Right Kind of Wrong provides tools, language, and the confidence to turn stumbles into steps forward.
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