I had a chance to talk with an old friend today with whom I hadn’t
spoken for some time.  Last I’d heard he had a successful business
going and was setting the world on fire.  But due to downturns in other
industries, his business gradually dwindled until he finally had to
close the doors.  I was sad as I listened to his story.  But it doesn’t
end there.  He had found a new job and was thriving.  I asked if the
failure of his business was a negative during the interview process.

Here’s what he had to say:

“At first I was very embarrassed to admit my business had gone
under, but that was the truth and there was no getting around it.  Some
people I interviewed with were definitely put off by it.  But my
current employer seemed genuinely interested in what had happened.  The
interview lasted nearly an hour as we explored all the facets of what
had happened.  He told me he felt I’d learned more by that one failure
than the other applicants had learned in all their successes, and
offered me a job making more than I’d ever made in my career.”

That’s certainly been my experience as I’ve talked to managers
who’ve had a tough go.  They have a perspective not available to
someone who’s never experienced such a problem.  They know
instinctively what to do the next time and what not to.  So before you
jump to conclusions and characterize someone who’s failed as a failure,
you might want to take time to think about how you spell success. 
You’ll undoubtedly realize there is more than one path to true success.