So when I fail, I fail big.

FORBES: The Single Greatest Secret of Leadership: 'Fail Up'

This constant feedback is occasionally agonizing when readers fail to materialize, but I firmly believe that this continual criticism is helping me become a more authentic writer and human being as well.

FORBES: Notre Dame's Manti Te'o: The 5 Steps to Authentic Leadership

Forging those sorts of relationships means combing scads of data, every day, without fail: "When I come in I usually spend the first half an hour getting caught up on who got a promotion, who lost a loved one, whose kid won an award, " says Cook.

FORBES: Dear Mom and Pop

The most meaningful support I received early on as a CEO was from the dominant board member who told me I was doing great, but I would fail at some things and he would be there for me when I did.

FORBES: Innovation, Failure and Corporate Culture

For my own part, I fail to see the purpose of not cooperating with China when it comes to the space program.

FORBES: Chinese Docking Mission A Success; Shenzhou-8 Returned To Earth

Frankly, just as I favor strict term limits as a way to cleanse our political system of incompetents, I welcome the call for accountability when too-big-to-fail institutions collapse because reasonable investments utilizing reasonable risk parameters were not undertaken.

FORBES: Barry Bonds Faces Jail Time While Wall Street Execs Sit Pretty

In both industries, though, scrabbling frantically for retail sales will fail when the consumers know they can rent (or, dare I say, pirate) the product elsewhere and the appearance of bullying consumers into buying at hardcover prices is highly unlikely to give readers a sense of compassion for beleaguered publishers.

FORBES: Book Publishers Can Learn from Film and Music

For the record, I am someone who believes that drugs should only be used when other modes of treatment fail.

FORBES: Why David Healy Is Wrong About the Safety of New Medicines

But on another note, I fail to see how the likes of Nick Lawrence (see letter above) can criticise reality television when he admits "I can proudly say I haven't ever even seen 5 minutes of any series of big brother and never will".

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