From Oops to Aha! The Mistake That Made Me a Better Leader

Let’s be honest—how many of you have ever made a mistake at work and wanted to crawl under the desk and never come out? Well, I’ve been there. In fact, I’ve been there so many times that I should probably start paying rent under my desk. But the truth is, mistakes are an inevitable part of work and life. The key isn’t avoiding them—it’s creating a workplace where we can laugh at ourselves, learn from them, and grow. And believe me, learning from mistakes can lead to some pretty incredible stories. Just ask my manager, Ray—he still gets great enjoyment from reminding me of one particular moment.

My Major Learning Moment

A few years ago, while working in a HR Project Lead role, I had a significant learning moment that still haunts me to this day (in a humorous way, of course). We received a few hundred applications for a role, and I was responsible for rejecting a large number of them. It was the days before fancy recruitment systems—everything was manual, which, let me tell you, felt like trying to organise your sock drawer while riding a bike.

I was dreading the idea of replying to each applicant individually. But then, my HR intern (bless them) had a brilliant idea: “Why don’t you just do an Outlook mail merge to reject everyone at once?” This was a game-changer! I thought, Brilliant, I’ll save myself hours of work. So, I went ahead with the mail merge, rejected all the candidates, hit send, and felt like I was on top of the world. I even took a break to make myself a coffee—because, hey, I’d done something efficient, right?

But then, as I was sipping my coffee, the realisation hit me like a cold shower. I had never tested that mail merge before sending it. I hadn't just rejected the candidates, I had sent every rejection email to everyone—candidates included. Every. Single. One. All the applicants knew who was rejected, and worse, they all had each other's email addresses. My stomach dropped to the floor. I could feel the blood drain from my face. It was a data protection nightmare.

How I Learned (the Hard Way)

Now, I could have run away, taken the Luas home, and hoped the internet would delete everything for me. But no, I did the grown-up thing and owned my mistake. I marched over to my manager, Raymond Comerford , who was in a meeting at the time. I had to come clean. “Ray,” I said, “I’ve messed up. I rejected all the candidates in one go, and they all know who the others are.” His look was a mixture of disappointment and—I swear—something like a desire to hit me on the head with a stapler. But he said calmly, “Okay. You’ve made a mistake, but you’ve come forward to own it. We’ll get through this.”

And we did. We worked out how to fix the issue and contacted the candidates with an apology. But it didn’t end there. Ray helped me reframe my failure into a learning experience, showing me how to avoid the same mistake in the future. I’ve carried that lesson with me ever since.

Psychological Safety and the Importance of Embracing Failure

I’m telling you this story not because I want sympathy (though I might secretly want a round of applause for admitting to it) but because we all make mistakes. It's human nature. What really matters is how we deal with those mistakes and, more importantly, how our teams and managers respond.

In her book Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive, Amy Edmondson discusses the importance of psychological safety in the workplace. If we don’t feel safe admitting mistakes or taking risks, we’re less likely to innovate, try new things, or learn. Creating a safe space to fail is essential for growth.

When I became a manager, I carried that lesson with me. I always tried to approach mistakes calmly and with compassion. (Though I’ll admit, I wasn’t always successful—I may have raised an eyebrow or two at times.) But ultimately, I wanted to ensure my team knew that mistakes were just part of the process. And it wasn’t just about forgiving them—it was about learning from them.

The Power of Failing Forward

In her book, Edmondson emphasises the idea of “failing forward.” This means learning from mistakes and using them as stepping stones for growth. Rather than seeing failure as the end of the road, we should treat it as an opportunity to improve.

I’ve seen this approach play out firsthand. For example, when I made that mail merge mistake, I didn’t just learn the technical lesson (testing before sending!). I also learned how to communicate better when things go wrong. I learned how to take ownership, admit my mistakes, and confidently move forward. That, to me, was the real win.

Key Takeaways from Right Kind of Wrong

Here are some of the key points that Amy Edmondson shares in her book:

• The Value of Constructive Failure: Failure isn’t just something negative—it can be a powerful learning tool. Embracing failure as part of the journey is essential for growth.
• Psychological Safety: A safe space for individuals and organisations to speak up, admit mistakes, and take risks allows them to grow and innovate.
• Failing Forward: Rather than letting failure hold us back, we should use it as a stepping stone. Failing forward means using mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve.
• Growth Mindset: A growth mindset is key. Those with it see challenges as learning opportunities rather than obstacles to avoid.

Leading by Example

As leaders, it’s important to normalise failure and show vulnerability by admitting our own mistakes. When you do this, you set the tone for the team. It’s about creating a culture where people feel safe to take risks, and when things don’t go according to plan, they can learn from it.

Now, Ray still gets excellent enjoyment from reminding me of my grave error—particularly the look of horror on my face when I realised what I had done. But that’s okay. We all laugh about it now. And every time I make a mistake, I remember that moment—and how we fixed it together. It’s a reminder that mistakes aren’t the end of the world; they’re just the beginning of learning.

Final Thoughts

So, the next time you make a mistake—big or small—don’t panic. Own it, learn from it, and move forward. And if you’re the one managing someone else’s mistake, remember that how you respond can shape their entire experience. As Edmondson says,

"Failure is not the opposite of success. It’s part of the journey to success."