You Will Screw Up

Mistakes are inevitable. Teams will make them, leaders will make them, and the work will move forward anyway. The question isn’t whether something will go wrong - it’s how you show up when it does.

Mistakes are part of the job

Worrying about making a mistake can be more paralyzing than the mistake itself. It’s better to assume that mistakes will happen and focus on how to respond when they do. The ability to recover is what builds resilience.

The principle

Here’s the guidance I often give:

• Take action rather than trying to avoid failure.
• You will make mistakes. And that’s okay.
• Never try and cover up your mistake. Instead, take accountability.
• Lead the effort to recover from it - even if you can’t fix it yourself.
• What people will remember is how you responded.

Mistakes should never be hidden, minimized, or redirected. The best course is to take ownership: “That was me. I got it wrong.” Then shift into action: gather the right people, ask the right questions, and help coordinate a path forward. You don’t need to know the fix yourself, but you do need to lead the effort to get it fixed.

In the long run, it won’t be the misstep that’s remembered. It’ll be the way it was handled - with honesty, ownership, and a willingness to learn.

Lessons from experience

When stepping into a more visible role, the pressure increases. There may be hesitation in making a call, or second-guessing after one is made. That tension is part of growth.

Mistakes aren’t always about the decision itself - sometimes it’s about how that decision is delivered. Acting with clarity and conviction is important, but so is leaving room for others to process.

The balance is difficult. That’s what makes it valuable.