"How Fascinating!"
Updated: Oct 7
The Art of Turning Mistakes into Possibility
When conductor and leadership expert Benjamin Zander introduced the phrase "How fascinating!" in The Art of Possibility, he offered more than just a clever phrase. He and his wife, co-author Rosamund Stone Zander, handed us an antidote to perfectionism, fragile pride, and the paralysis of overthinking.
Instead of responding to a blunder or setback with shame ("I ruined it," "I'm so stupid"), Zander suggests raising your arms in the air, throwing back your shoulders, and declaring with genuine delight, "How fascinating!"
"In the domain of possibility, we are not trying to avoid mistakes; we are generating a context in which mistakes are simply part of the flow of creation."
~ Benjamin Zander & Rosamund Stone Zander
True Story: From a Single Video to Team Culture
I regularly send Zander’s original video clips to clients across all industries and roles whenever they find themselves stuck in some way, maybe in self-criticism or fear of mistakes. Without fail, clips like "How to give an A" break the tension – getting a laugh and opening up a powerful sense of possibility.
One of my clients was so inspired by the video that she decided to take the concept straight back to her own team. Together, they created a "How Fascinating!" board. It gets filled with colorful Post-it notes documenting their weekly mishaps, missteps, and unexpected twists. I heard another coach share a story of her work with clients, and they created an "Honor Board" for nominating the best mistakes ever made.
Instead of hiding errors, those teams now really see and celebrate them together. By treating mistakes as opportunities, the teams unlock a remarkable phenomenon: as fear of looking foolish or wrong evaporates, people start learning more deeply from situations, exploring many more options, and taking bold, creative, calculated steps and risks they might never have done, let alone contemplated, out loud.
As practices like "How Fascinating!" become embedded, they deliver systemic impacts across every level – from cultural and working environments to job satisfaction and employee well-being (the hallmarks of retention and engagement). Across organizational, team, and individual outcomes, the resulting creative solutions eclipse what was ever produced when everyone was playing it safe.
What Happens When We Say, “How Fascinating”?
Our default state is so often dictated by the fragile, calculating ego – a part of us that demands perfection, fears judgment, and treats every minor stumble like a life-or-death bear-in-the-kitchen crisis.
Saying, “How Fascinating” gently dissolves that rigid posture. It reminds us that underneath our titles and polished presentations, we are all human beings navigating an unfolding canvas.
By inviting lightness into our work, we clear the heavy air of fragile self-importance so genuine connection, humor, and creativity can breathe. It isn't about caring less about our work; it's about caring less about protecting our delicate ego.
There's also a feeling that we're looking at the situation here, not the person. "How Fascinating!" gets us bonding in curiosity and wonder. Let's geek out together over the latest Post-it on the board!
This simple shift can create a profound ripple effect across every level of an organization. Let’s explore this theme by looking at how to anchor these practices into our daily habits, team agreements, and leadership routines:
1. With Ourselves: Personal Freedom & Curiosity
Switches off the Inner Critic: The instant you throw your hands in the air and label an error as "fascinating," you activate your inner observer. You shift from defending your worth to exploring what happened.
Transforms Blunders into Data: Stress rarely comes from the mistake itself; it comes from what we fear the mistake says about us. "How Fascinating!" strips away the threat and leaves you with clear, neutral data.
Separates Identity from Outcome: It didn’t work. So, you made a bad choice. You are not a bad person. It just didn't work. The outcome is external feedback, not a definition of your capability.
2. In Our Teams & Cultures: Psychological Safety & Innovation
Normalizes Vulnerability: When leaders openly say, "How fascinating!" it signals to everyone that perfection isn't the price of admission. Being human and learning together is!
Turns Stumbles into a Stairway: When mistakes are brought into the light – like on an "Honor Board" – the team recovers equanimity and energy faster and can now extract maximum insight from every twist.
Unlocks Calculated Risk-Taking: High-performing cultures don't eliminate mistakes; they eliminate the fear of mistakes. When the fear of looking wrong evaporates, true innovation becomes possible.
"It's all invented anyway, so we might as well invent a story or a framework of meaning that enhances our quality of life and the life of those around us."
~ Benjamin Zander & Rosamund Stone Zander
Teaser—next article: Rule No. 6 (there are no other rules ;)
Declaring "How fascinating!" gives us an instant, real-time circuit breaker when things go wrong. But what is the underlying philosophy that makes this shift possible in high-stakes environments?
It comes down to a legendary principle from The Art of Possibility: Rule No. 6.
Tune in next time as we explore the famous story behind Rule No. 6, why Benjamin Zander insists "there are no other rules," and how disarming the fragile ego gives leaders and teams their ultimate competitive advantage. 🦩
Credits: Benjamin Zander & Rosamund Stone Zander as the creators of the concepts ("How Fascinating!", Rule No. 6, Giving an A) and source of direct quotes.
References:
Zander, Rosamund Stone; Zander, Benjamin. The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2000.
Benjamin Zander Center: https://www.benjaminzander.org/collections/
Video, Work (How to give an A), Benjamin Zander https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTKEBygQic0
Video: Experiencing the Art of Possibility, Benjamin Zander https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d54-4mDLXYo
Image Sources: Gemini with a lot of tweaking by me.
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