Define: "Failing Upwards" in Business
Catastrophic fiscal burn
"Stop silently fixing broken architecture at 2 AM. Nobody promotes the engineer who prevents a crisis—let a non-critical staging environment catch fire during business hours so you can put on a cape in front of the CIO."
A perceived organizational phenomenon in which an individual achieves promotion or executive placement despite prior project setbacks.
What does "Failing Upwards" actually mean?
"Torching a $10 million SD-WAN migration, blaming the VAR, and getting promoted to Vice President before the root-cause analysis is published."
"Strong executive sponsorship often insulates leaders, creating the perception of failing upwards during organizational restructures."
"After breaking payroll for three consecutive quarters, Craig is failing upwards into a newly created Chief Transformation Officer role."
By The Chief Waste Officer
18 years in the corporate trenches quantifying waste so you don't have to.
Related Terminology
Tired of hearing this?
Next time someone says "Failing Upwards" in a meeting, track exactly how much company money they just wasted. Play Buzzword Bingo, generate a waste invoice, and stop the bleeding.
