As someone who has spent decades in high-stakes environments, I understand precision isn’t just preferred; it can be required for survival. That said, I learned this counterintuitive truth: the path to peak performance isn’t paved with perfection, but built up through our mistakes and how we handle them.
Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate and inspiring symbol of courage and resilience, wrote in her book I AM MALALA, “I think everyone makes a mistake at least once in their life. The important thing is what you learn from it.” These words remind us that mistakes are universal–even the strongest and most high-achieving among us stumble–and that what defines success is learning from those setbacks.
I have made mistakes. I could have minimized them, made excuses for them, or blamed them on external factors. Instead, I have striven to own my mistakes, analyze what led to them, and vulnerably share those insights with my team. Why do I tell you this? Because it taught me the power of intellectual humility, reinforcing that leadership is about being accountable rather than infallible.
Fast-paced, high-pressure environments need a culture of radical accountability that isn’t about dwelling on failure, but extracting every ounce of wisdom from it. The difference between thriving and merely surviving is being able to quickly and completely transform mistakes into mastery.
What strikes me most about Malala’s wisdom is the inherent courage it requires. It takes courage to be imperfect and tremendous strength to admit mistakes and resist the human tendency to defend one’s ego. The leaders I most admire aren’t those who never fail; they’re the ones who fail forward, creating environments where mistakes are acknowledged and discussed openly, where learning is prioritized over facades, and where their teams grow stronger not despite setbacks but because of them.
Mistakes are inevitable. The question is how you will respond to them. As you lead your high-performing team, ask yourself these questions: How do you respond when someone on your team shares a mistake? Do you ensure your team knows they can speak up without fear of needless punishment? Do you cultivate a culture of radical accountability where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities?
Your mistakes are not your enemies. They’re your teachers. Embracing mistakes is a superpower that allows you to fly through failure to learn and grow. It’s what makes success possible.
