--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had never in my corporate life had a…" description: "\"I had never in my corporate life had a failure.\" — John DeLorean" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/john-delorean-25193_corporate_i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-f_3093394.jpg" --- # I had never in my corporate life had a failure. ![“I had never in my corporate life had a failure.” quote by John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/john-delorean-25193_corporate_i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-f_3093394.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/john-delorean-25193_corporate_i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-f_3093394.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/john-delorean-25193_corporate_i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-f_3093394.jpg) > “I had never in my corporate life had a failure.” [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Failure is presented as an unprecedented event, highlighting denial of risk in corporate culture **In simple terms:** Denial of failure can blind leaders to learning opportunities Key Takeaway Accept failure as a learning tool Themes risk management learning corporate culture Mood cautious inquisitive Type business motivational When to use this quote - executive training - startup mentorship - leadership workshops Key Concepts psychology business strategy growth mindset Questions to Reflect On - How can you normalize failure in your team? - What lessons can be drawn from setbacks? A Different Perspective Ignoring failure can prevent growth and repeat mistakes ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-failure/) ## Related quotes > [The spinning wheel for us is the foundation for all public corporate life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-spinning-wheel-for-us-is-the-foundation-for-all-public-corporate/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [In corporate life, I have noticed, it is getting harder and harder to say that things are bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-coles/in-corporate-life-i-have-noticed-it-is-getting-harder-and-harder-to/) [Richard Coles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-coles/) > [The simple act of recognizing diversity in corporate life helps us to connect the great variety of gifts that people bring to the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-de-pree/the-simple-act-of-recognizing-diversity-in-corporate-life-helps-us-to/) [Max De Pree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-de-pree/) > [Books proliferate, and occasionally sell in very large numbers, which claim to have found the rule, or small set of rules, which will guarantee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ormerod/books-proliferate-and-occasionally-sell-in-very-large-numbers-which/) [Paul Ormerod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ormerod/) > [Most meetings are too long, too dull, too unproductive - and too much a part of corporate life to be abandoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-wyse/most-meetings-are-too-long-too-dull-too-unproductive-and-too-much-a/) [Lois Wyse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-wyse/) > [I have found that leadership is leadership is leadership. It applies whether you are in government or in corporate life or in non-profit life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/i-have-found-that-leadership-is-leadership-is-leadership-it-applies/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If you want the best things to happen in corporate life you have to find ways to be hospitable to the unusual person. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-de-pree/if-you-want-the-best-things-to-happen-in-corporate-life-you-have-to/) [Max De Pree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-de-pree/) > [When shame is missing from corporate life, society, quickly becomes uncivilized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-anders/when-shame-is-missing-from-corporate-life-society-quickly-becomes/) [Max Anders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-anders/) > [“HAS YOUR LIFE BEEN A FAILURE? LET’S MAKE YOUR DEATH A SUCCESS!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-teul/has-your-life-been-a-failure-let-s-make-your-death-a-success/) [Jean Teulé](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-teul/) > [My life has been nothing but a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/my-life-has-been-nothing-but-a-failure/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [If in 100 years I am only known as the man who invented Sherlock Holmes then I will have considered my life a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-in-100-years-i-am-only-known-as-the-man-who-invented-sherlock/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We have all made mistakes, and we will still make mistakes in the future. But that shouldn't give up and throw in the towel...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/we-have-all-made-mistakes-and-we-will-still-make-mistakes-in-the/) Pacifiersucker > [When a man comes to die, no matter what his talents and influences and genius, if he dies unloved his life must be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/when-a-man-comes-to-die-no-matter-what-his-talents-and-influences-and/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [There is but one failure in life and that is the failure to try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sharma/there-is-but-one-failure-in-life-and-that-is-the-failure-to-try/) [Robin Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sharma/) > [“Success keeps you in the game of life, but failure is the path to wisdom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chillowet/success-keeps-you-in-the-game-of-life-but-failure-is-the-path-to/) [Chillowet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chillowet/) ## More by John DeLorean > [I was an egomaniac, out of control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-was-an-egomaniac-out-of-control/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [Everything I own in the world essentially has either been taken away from me or tied up. I've got nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/everything-i-own-in-the-world-essentially-has-either-been-taken-away/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [I was really a basket case. I admit that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-was-really-a-basket-case-i-admit-that/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [I had an arrogance that was beyond that of any other human being alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-had-an-arrogance-that-was-beyond-that-of-any-other-human-being-alive/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [We were trying to build a car that would last, that had the quality of eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/we-were-trying-to-build-a-car-that-would-last-that-had-the-quality-of/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [Being an engineer is to live in a mean, bare prison cell and regard yourself the sovereign of limitless space... for each engineer has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/being-an-engineer-is-to-live-in-a-mean-bare-prison-cell-and-regard/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [In fact, I don't think I have any personality at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/in-fact-i-don-t-think-i-have-any-personality-at-all/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [You get to a certain point and all of a sudden, you're living a lifestyle you can't believe. A fleet of private planes at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/you-get-to-a-certain-point-and-all-of-a-sudden-you-re-living-a/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [I think my ultimate sin - and it was really terrible - was that I had this insatiable pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-think-my-ultimate-sin-and-it-was-really-terrible-was-that-i-had/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [I enjoy the company of attractive women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-enjoy-the-company-of-attractive-women/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [I've always had a tendency to associate with women who were dramatically less educated than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-ve-always-had-a-tendency-to-associate-with-women-who-were/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [I'm a moral man. I've lived a decent, moral life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-m-a-moral-man-i-ve-lived-a-decent-moral-life/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [Americans like to see a big guy get knocked off. But once he's down and everybody's got their shoes cleaned off on him, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/americans-like-to-see-a-big-guy-get-knocked-off-but-once-he-s-down/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [No great car was ever done by a group. Almost all the great cars in the world that you know about were individual efforts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/no-great-car-was-ever-done-by-a-group-almost-all-the-great-cars-in/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) > [When your viewpoint is as damaging to the Devil as mine is, a number of things will happen to impeach your credibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/when-your-viewpoint-is-as-damaging-to-the-devil-as-mine-is-a-number/) [John DeLorean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) [Explore all 23 John DeLorean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/) ## More Corporate quotes > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [The corporate state is an immensely powerful machine, ordered, legalistic, rational, yet utterly out of human control, wholly and perfectly indifferent to any human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/the-corporate-state-is-an-immensely-powerful-machine-ordered/) [Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/) > [Perhaps the greatest and least visible form of impoverishment caused by the Corporate State is the destruction of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-a-reich/perhaps-the-greatest-and-least-visible-form-of-impoverishment-caused/) [Charles A. Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/) > [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [I think we have to take a look at corporate law. We have to take a look at the incentives that we can perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-think-we-have-to-take-a-look-at-corporate-law-we-have-to-take-a/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I don't think we should reduce the corporate tax rate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-don-t-think-we-should-reduce-the-corporate-tax-rate/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I put a lot of emphasis on how to treat people. The reason for this is simple. The real success of our personal lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/i-put-a-lot-of-emphasis-on-how-to-treat-people-the-reason-for-this-is/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [I'm less concerned about whether being a good corporate citizen burnishes a company's reputation. That's just an added benefit. I believe it's a responsibility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-burns/i-m-less-concerned-about-whether-being-a-good-corporate-citizen/) [Ursula Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-burns/) > [The spinning wheel for us is the foundation for all public corporate life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/the-spinning-wheel-for-us-is-the-foundation-for-all-public-corporate/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [I truly believe that one of the things that has been lacking in America is a spirit of repentance about the injustices of slavery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-truly-believe-that-one-of-the-things-that-has-been-lacking-in/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [Corporate America is a 20th-century dinosaur, trembling on the edge of extinction, and the only way for you to have a genuinely secure future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/corporate-america-is-a-20th-century-dinosaur-trembling-on-the-edge-of/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [I think, honestly, that the word 'indie' is a false gimmick. 'Independent' used to mean a movie that was financed outside corporate Hollywood, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/i-think-honestly-that-the-word-indie-is-a-false-gimmick-independent/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [Higher projected corporate and personal income tax receipts and lower public debt charges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-goodale/higher-projected-corporate-and-personal-income-tax-receipts-and-lower/) Ralph Goodale > [For us, my wife and I and all of my partners believe that corporations have to be corporate citizens, and individuals who benefit from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-walter/for-us-my-wife-and-i-and-all-of-my-partners-believe-that-corporations/) [Mark Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-walter/) [Browse all 1,460 Corporate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had never in my corporate life had a failure.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John DeLorean" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-failure/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Corporate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-failure/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/john-delorean-25193_corporate_i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-f_3093394.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/john-delorean-25193_corporate_i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-f_3093394.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e8/john-delorean-25193_corporate_i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-f_3093394.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had never in my corporate life had a failure.” — John DeLorean", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John DeLorean", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delorean/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had never in my corporate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-failure/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delorean/i-had-never-in-my-corporate-life-had-a-failure/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```