EP25: The Mistakes that Make Us

“Leaders who lead by example set the tone for others to admit mistakes,” says Mark Graban, the creator of the “My Favorite Mistake” podcast and author of “The Mistakes That Make Us.” How can leaders move from blaming to learning? In this episode, Mark joins Karin Reed to discuss how confident humility—the skill of admitting mistakes while preserving credibility—can transform workplace culture into a space for innovation and growth instead of fear and judgment.

 

Mark reflects on lessons from his podcast, where his guests share how they turned their missteps into meaningful progress. He challenges the idea that punishment leads to improvement, and suggests that it often results in hidden errors and repeated problems. Can mistakes be viewed as opportunities to build stronger systems rather than as failures?

 

This episode points out how psychological safety, openness, and systemic thinking can empower teams to speak up, address issues, and create lasting change. Whether you’re leading a team or reflecting on your own mistakes, Mark and Karin's conversation offers insights that can help you transform your setbacks into success.

 

Quotes

• “There’s this combination I’d call confident humility. You have to be confident enough to realize that sharing a story won’t ruin your reputation, but it might benefit others who are afraid or uncomfortable admitting mistakes to themselves or their employees.” (05:47 | Mark Graban) 
• “Mistakes are, by definition, unintentional. We’re doing something we think is the right thing, and it could be due to a mental lapse, a physical slip-up, or a bad assumption. A mistake, large or small, is by definition unintended. When we punish mistakes, it teaches people to hide and cover them up. Then, we’re doomed to repeat them or fail to learn from them.” (10:54 | Mark Graban)
• “Leaders who lead by example set the tone for others to admit mistakes.” (15:21 | Mark Graban)
• “There’s a lesson from entrepreneurship of stating your assumptions and realizing, ‘Okay, we’re going to go do something now. We’re testing an assumption. We could be wrong, and that’s okay.’ So, I think if we almost expect mistakes to happen, especially if we’re entrepreneurs or doing new things, launching a new podcast, we almost have to expect it, invite it, and reflect and learn the best we can.” (32:47 | Mark Graban)

 

Links

Connect with Mark Graban:

Website: http://markgraban.com/

Book: https://mistakesbook.com/

 

Connect with Karin Reed:

Website: www.speakerdynamics.com

Speaker Dynamics University: https://university.speakerdynamics.com/

Speaker Dynamics on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakerdynamics/

Karin Reed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-reed/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm