Failing Up - Please Don’t

This term is starting to gain traction, but I’m not surprised if you haven’t heard of it. Failing up is defined by Wikitionary as, “To advance in one's career despite failure or incompetence.”

I have seen this time and time again. I have worked with many people who have “Failed up” and have continued to be promoted despite their absolute incompetence. Chances are, you have too. I find that the vast majority of individuals in middle management have failed up. Essentially they couldn’t do the job as a low-level employee, but for whatever reason they were promoted to a higher level. Often this has to do with either it being perceived as cheaper for the company to promote than to fire or due to a bond or friendship they share with someone in upper management.

This isn’t fair! -Absolutely it isn’t, but it’s part of the game. You will always find those who have failed up. I once knew someone who failed as the absolute bottom position, was moved to a night position to “do less harm” then failed at that and was moved to a day watch to “have more eyes on him”. After he continued to have abysmal performance, they decided he needed to work in a different building and got a promotion to a position he wasn’t even slightly qualified for. Why? Because they wanted to move him away. He was in the industry for a long time and people felt like he had “seniority” even though he couldn’t perform.

Unfortunately this is a common story. You may not even realize it, but you are surrounded by these types of individuals every day. The vast majority of them don’t even know they’re failing upwards. They truly believe they deserved the promotion and the new swanky title that came with it.

Maybe you’re now wondering if you’ve failed up. Chances are if you’re even reading this, you probably haven’t. Or if you have, you want to change that and better yourself. You find yourself here because you are making a conscious effort to do more with your life. Those who have failed up and continue to do-so are extremely arrogant and find nothing wrong with themselves. Now maybe you feel you need to share this post with someone as a passive-aggressive way to send a message they might be failing up, go for it, but I wouldn’t suggest sending this to your supervisor.

Failing up is frustrating to witness, but recognizing it is the first step in ensuring you don’t fall into the same trap. The reality is that the workplace isn’t always a meritocracy- sometimes people rise through the ranks despite their incompetence. But if you’re here reading this, you likely want more for yourself. You want to earn your success, grow your skills, and move forward with intention. Instead of dwelling on those who have failed up, focus on building your own path. Keep learning, keep pushing yourself, and you’ll know when you do move up, it’s because you’ve truly earned it.