{"id":35879,"date":"2026-08-17T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/?post_type=article&p=35879"},"modified":"2026-08-18T10:10:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T09:10:27","slug":"how-to-fail-cheaply-learn-quickly-and-perform-sustainably","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/how-to-fail-cheaply-learn-quickly-and-perform-sustainably\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fail Cheaply, Learn Quickly, and Perform Sustainably"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n 17 Aug 2026 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

How to Fail Cheaply, Learn Quickly, and Perform Sustainably<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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We bring you five insights from Seth Meyers, the Brooklyn Nets, USOPC, US Air Force and Juilliard School \u2013 all of whom spoke at the Leaders Sport Performance Summit in New York.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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By John Portch<\/h6>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re spending a wonderful amount of time today thinking about cultivating the human, figuring out what it takes to build that capability and execute under pressure,\u201d said Holly Ransom.<\/h6>\n

The renowned leadership specialist was speaking just moments before she introduced Seth Meyers to the stage at June\u2019s Leaders Sport Performance Summit at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City.<\/p>\n

Meyers, a comedian, broadcaster and producer, instantly built on the theme, with his tales of watching the likes of Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Sudeikis produce sketches that died a death during read-through sessions (and all too often live onstage) at Saturday Night Live<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching them succeed is something you can do,\u201d he said, \u201cbut watching them fail at the table was the real education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meyers made clear his admiration for the writers and producers of SNL<\/em> who, as he said, \u201chave seen and heard more sketches than anyone in the history of the world\u201d. \u201cIt was a reminder of how hard comedy was,\u201d he added. \u201cTo fail at this does not mean you\u2019re not funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crucially, Meyers and his peers failed in what were ultimately safe spaces. They were all the better \u2013 and all the funnier \u2013 for it.<\/p>\n

And it was not just Meyers\u2019 musings. Across both days, we heard from leaders in high-performance environments as diverse as the US Air Force, Juilliard School and the Brooklyn Nets, who lent us their home for two days. Together they delivered insights on how leaders can cultivate environments in which people fail cheaply, learn quickly and perform sustainably.<\/p>\n

Below is a selection of five insights that paint a picture of proceedings.<\/p>\n

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  1. You have to cultivate people, not merely manage performance<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Brooklyn Nets have been on an exciting trajectory since the arrival of Sean Marks as General Manager in 2016. His tenure began with a question: \u201cWhat are we going to stand for?\u201d Marks believed that the Nets needed an identity that meant more than mere wins or losses and he landed upon \u2018Brooklyn grit\u2019 \u2013 a system of behaviours that extended beyond one, single individual. \u201cIt\u2019s really important that you take the responsibility to drive a culture that everybody can observe,” he said.<\/p>\n

    Marks and the Nets have continually hired the best people, regardless of their professional background. A quick roll call of their staff would reveal people with experience in fields as diverse as soccer, baseball, finance and, of course, basketball. Each is given the platform to perform. He said:<\/p>\n

    If you give people the opportunity, you empower them to speak up, you empower them that they do have a voice, they\u2019re motivated far more than a group that isn\u2019t empowered to have a voice.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"\"

    Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks in coversation with host Holly Ransom. Photo: Leaders Performance Institute \/ Evan Bernstein<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

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    1. The best leaders listen<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Across both days, listening emerged as an important performance tool. Whether building an NBA franchise, leading a writers\u2019 room or cultivating future performers, the speakers repeatedly stressed that leaders who genuinely listen create environments where trust, challenge and innovation can flourish.<\/p>\n

      Marks for one said:<\/p>\n

      I want a diverse train of thought [and] if I\u2019m going to hang my hat on hiring the very, very best, shame on me if I don\u2019t listen to them.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      Similarly, Seth Meyers\u2019 beliefs have been shaped by his time in improvisational comedy as well as his time as a talk show host. He said:<\/p>\n

      One of the first rules with improvising is you have to be a listener. You can\u2019t build something with a person if you\u2019re just thinking about what you\u2019re saying when you\u2019re talking\u2026 and don\u2019t ask questions you\u2019re not actually curious about the answers to.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \"\"

      Seth Meyers on a different New York stage. Photo: Leaders Performance Institute \/ Evan Bernstein<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

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      1. Safe experimentation helps to breed resilience<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        So what actually happened when a sketch died during SNL<\/em> read-throughs? What would Meyers do? What if the sketch actually died onstage?<\/p>\n

        \u201cYou have to shake it off,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can learn lessons from things that don\u2019t go well, but you can\u2019t bring it with you to your next week\u2019s effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

        As one of the longest-serving head writers in SNL<\/em> history, Meyers was responsible for managing exceptionally talented people operating under intense deadlines and, if writers carried every disappointment into the next week, their performance would deteriorate. The key was to try ambitious ideas, accept that many would fail, then learn quickly and move on.<\/p>\n

        Meyers was echoed by Evan Yionoulis, the Director of the Juilliard\u2019s Drama Division. \u201cIf we\u2019re worried about fear, we have to foster an environment where you can be brave,\u201d she said. She tells her students:<\/p>\n

        \u2018I believe in you, I brought you into the school. You\u2019re going to graduate, and I\u2019m going to take you all the way there, and I\u2019m going to be patient\u2026 I\u2019m not judging you, good or bad\u2019. I\u2019m going \u2018what\u2019s the next step to take it further? What\u2019s the next step to take it deeper?\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \"\"

        Evan Yianoulis of the Juilliard School. Photo: Leaders Performance Institute \/ Evan Bernstein<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

          \n
        1. Replace blame with curiosity<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Dr Wendy Walsh is the Chief Learning Officer for the US Air Force, a role in which she oversees education for approximately 700,000 personnel. Her work goes beyond training to the creation of conditions that enable learning across a sprawling, complex system. She argues that high-performance environments are \u201ccomplex adaptive systems made up of continuously changing people, relationships and influences. She argued that learning starts from observation:<\/p>\n

          It\u2019s the most important thing that we do is to be present with each other\u2026 I might not agree with you, but it\u2019s a requirement for me to understand a different person’s perspective, because that will reveal more possibilities.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

          \"\"

          Dr Wendy Walsh, the Chief Learning Officer of the US Air Force. Photo: Leaders Performance Institute \/ Evan Bernstein<\/p><\/div>\n

          Walsh was joined onstage by Andrea Tullos, who explained why the US Air Force pivoted from focusing on factors such as strength, endurance and swimming ability in recruitment. Ultimately, they were alarmed by the numbers of recruits dropping out. They shifted the focus to factors such as resilience, learning agility, tolerance for discomfort and motivation. Tullos said:<\/p>\n

          We need to know who they are before we understand what they can do\u2026 [and] it\u2019s not about assigning blame. It\u2019s about understanding how to get up tomorrow to do it all over again as a team and get better.<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \"\"

          Andrea Tullos, former lieutenant general in the US Air Force and Founder and CEO of Outperform IQ. Photo: Leaders Performance Institute \/ Evan Bernstein<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

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          1. It\u2019s not about medals but building the conditions that make medals possible<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Team USA finished second in both the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic medals table (behind Norway) and Paralympics medals table (behind China). The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee wants to be No 1 in both tables in 2030, which means creating the conditions that make future medals possible.<\/p>\n

            Jen Bryant, the USOPC\u2019s Senior Director of Olympic and Paralympic Performance, told the audience of her organisation\u2019s continuing efforts towards meeting their target. She said:<\/p>\n

            We couldn\u2019t just focus on what we were going to do at the Games [Milano Cortina]. We needed to spend time building a team that was capable of going and delivering a podium-level performance\u2026 We focused on bringing a broader number of athletes through the pipeline\u2026 [we asked also ourselves] How are we keeping athletes in sport and then the opportunities to bring new athletes into Olympic sport?<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \"\"

            Jen Bryant, the USOPC\u2019s Senior Director of Olympic and Paralympic Performance. Photo: Leaders Performance Institute \/ Evan Bernstein<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

            What to read next<\/strong><\/p>\n

            <\/p>\n

            Want to Be an Adaptive Leader? You\u2019d Better Prepare<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n