Fail, Learn, Repeat: Why Mistakes Make You a Better Leader

brooke86102
Jan 5
2 min read

Let’s get one thing out of the way: every great leader has a flop story. A project that didn’t go as planned. An awkward speech. An event where five people showed up and one of them was their mom. If that sounds familiar, guess what? You’re not failing you’re growing.

Mistakes Aren’t the End, They’re the Middle

When you're in a leadership role, it's easy to feel pressure to get it right all the time. You’re organizing events, speaking up in meetings, and trying to make an impact.

But leadership isn't about perfection. It’s about progress.

Every time something goes wrong and trust us, it will! You can give up… but you can get up. “Every great leader has a flop story what’s yours?”

How to Take Ownership (Without Beating Yourself Up)

Messing up doesn’t make you a bad leader. Avoiding responsibility? That’s where things go sideways. Here’s how to own your mistakes and grow from them:

Acknowledge it – “That didn’t go as planned. Here’s what I missed.”
Apologize if needed – A simple, honest “My bad” builds trust.
Ask for feedback – “How can I improve this next time?”
Apply what you learn – Mistakes are only helpful if they lead to change.

Leadership is never about always getting it right. It's about learning how to make it right.

Failing Forward = Your Leadership Superpower

The best part of failing forward? You become more:

Resilient
Relatable
Resourceful

You stop fearing mistakes and start seeing them as stepping stones, not stop signs. You lead with more empathy, because you know what it’s like to stumble. You get stronger, because now, you know how to bounce back.