fail upwards
Succeed through failure
Fail upwards describes advancing in career or status despite poor performance or repeated failures.
The phrase captures a cynical observation about how some people—often through connections, luck, or institutional dysfunction—get promoted when they should be fired: He keeps failing upwards; every disaster lands him a better job.
The expression implies the normal consequences of failure don't apply to everyone equally.
- mediocrityQuality of being average
- privilegeExclusive right or benefit
- glass elevatorLift with transparent walls
- nepotismPreferring kin in hiring
- old boys clubInformal male power network
good old boys · promotion · corner office · corporate ladder · systemic inequality · cultural capital · favoritism · gatekeeping · class mobility · soft skills · cronyism · social networks · networking · golden parachute · elitism · leadership · yes man · self-sabotage
fail upwardspay one's dues
Gain credibility through struggle
earn one's stripes · work one's way up · prove oneself · meritocracy · rise through the ranks
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