In business and leadership, mistakes are inevitable. Yet too many leaders treat a wrong step as a career-ending disaster rather than what it really is, an opportunity to learn, adapt, and emerge stronger.
Think about your GPS. When you take a wrong turn, it doesn’t berate you or flash red warning lights. It simply recalculates and guides you toward a new path forward.
That’s the mindset extraordinary leaders adopt when they miss a target or make a misstep.
Research from Harvard Business Review shows that leaders who openly acknowledge mistakes and act on lessons learned build 20% more trust with their teams than those who try to conceal them.
Another study by McKinsey found that organisations with leaders who model adaptive thinking after setbacks are 36% more likely to outperform competitors in revenue growth over three years.
The truth is, no leader starts perfect. Jeff Bezos has spoken about billion-dollar mistakes at Amazon. Oprah Winfrey faced public and commercial failures before building her media empire. Richard Branson has said his entrepreneurial life is “just one big mistake after another”, but those mistakes also unlocked Virgin’s biggest breakthroughs.
The key is speed and intention in your recovery. Great leaders:
1 Pause to assess, not punish
Step back and get the facts. Was it a flawed strategy, poor execution, or an external factor? Clarity prevents over-correction.
2 Extract the lesson immediately
Document what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to change. Make the learning visible to your team so they can grow with you.
3 Communicate with confidence
Share what happened, how you’re adjusting, and why you’re still on course. Transparency builds credibility, even in failure.
4 Recalculate quickly
The longer you sit in regret, the further you fall behind. Decide on the next step and execute with intent.
Top tip for leaders:
Treat mistakes as “tuition fees” for your future success. You’ve paid for the experience, make sure you get the full value by applying it.
Leadership is not defined by an unbroken record of flawless decisions. It’s defined by your capacity to adapt, learn, and keep moving.
Like your GPS, your role is not to dwell on the wrong turn but to guide yourself and your team toward the next best route.
RDL are champions at helping leaders reroute and get back on track.
RDL:- Results Driven Leadership
