Embracing Mistakes: A Crucial Step in Emerging Leadership
Let’s just say it out loud: You’re going to make mistakes. We all do.
Whether you're stepping into leadership for the first time or navigating the awkward middle zone between “emerging” and “established,” mistakes are part of the deal. But too often, we beat ourselves up for getting it wrong.
We replay the conversation we could’ve handled better.
We cringe at the email we should’ve double-checked.
We spiral over the one meeting where we felt totally out of our depth.
Here’s the truth: making mistakes doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re leading.
Leadership Isn’t About Getting It Perfect
Somewhere along the way, we picked up the idea that leaders should be polished, precise, and poised at all times. But if you’ve ever worked under someone who pretended to have it all together, you probably know how exhausting (and unrelatable) that energy can be.
The leaders we remember—the ones we trust—are the ones who own their missteps, course-correct, and keep it moving.
They don’t spiral.
They reflect, they adjust, and they grow.
Mistakes Aren’t a Threat to Your Credibility—They’re a Path to It
If you’re transparent about where you’ve gone wrong and what you’ve learned, people don’t lose respect for you—they gain it. Because that’s what trust is built on: humanity, not perfection.
Want to build a team culture where people take risks, innovate, and speak up? That starts with you modeling what it looks like to stumble and get back up.
So What Do You Do After a Mistake?
Here’s what I recommend:
Give yourself grace. You’re not a robot. You’re human. You’re learning. Start there.
Be honest. If the mistake affected your team, own it. A simple, “That one’s on me—I’m already working on a fix,” can go a long way.
Learn from it. What did this mistake reveal? What systems, habits, or boundaries need adjusting?
Move on. You can hold space for growth without carrying guilt. The goal isn’t to avoid messing up; it’s to bounce back faster and wiser.
The Takeaway
You don’t need to be perfect to be a powerful leader.
You need to be present.
You need to be accountable.
And most of all, you need to remember: mistakes are part of the job description.
So the next time you fumble, don’t waste energy pretending you didn’t.
Own it. Learn from it. Keep going.
We’ve all been there. You’re not alone.