Learning From Mistakes

Most of us get at least 1 opportunity that changes our career trajectory; I am not referring to the biggest/ largest role we do but the role that prepares us for these bigger, larger roles. It is the role that sets us up for the future.   For me, it was moving from an HR Head role for a mid-size company in India where I managed a large team to an individual contributor role where I would work in a specialized area but at a global scale within the same company. I was advised by many not to pursue it but I was open. What was the attraction – it would allow me to work with HR & Business Leaders of over 50 countries and it was a new role; so I could shape it.   I got experiences I could have never imagined for myself. Conducting a goal setting workshop for the leadership team in Japan; piloting a leadership program for Western Europe and conducting a performance management training for the Bangladesh team. I worked with colleagues from so many different cultures and backgrounds. I changed – both personally and professionally. I was humbled with everything I didn't know. I learned how to adapt, I became less judgmental and a lot more open minded.   The role also gave me an opportunity to work with very senior leaders and it was a booster immersion in how they think; the questions they ask and how they make decisions. Most importantly, I learned to operate without authority. And that helped me do my next role better.   Here are 4 of my biggest learnings:   1. Don't judge roles by size/ scale; think about the potential to impact. A larger role (textbook definition) doesn’t always result in higher impact - the context is very important. 2. Careers are about skill stacking. And instead of mastering one skill, we need to take a step back from our core strength and build a winning combination of skill sets that are unique to us and make us more effective. 3. Experience is different from experiences. Too often we define learning very narrowly in the professional context. Joining a well settled team and making your place in it; managing demanding peers; building a team or keeping it intact in challenging times; navigating a large & complex organization; working for an inspiring leader; managing conflicting priorities of different stakeholders. These are all experiences. 4. Be open, take risks - it is a key quality in managing our careers successfully. And we all need some discomfort to help us reach our full potential. #experiences #careers

In late 2016, while at Microsoft, I wrote a piece of code that caused severe crashes across 8+ regions, reducing our Service Level Agreements (SLAs) significantly. Within 30 hours, our team had jumped into action and resolved the crisis. This is the story of one of my biggest career mistakes and what it taught me. It all started with a subtle error: a null pointer exception in a rarely used code path. I thought it wasn't urgent and even considered going on vacation. But as life would have it, another team made changes that increased the frequency of this problematic code path, leading to massive crashes in multiple regions and affecting our SLAs badly. I was in shock when I realized the magnitude of what had happened. My heart pounded, but I knew I couldn't freeze. I took ownership and immediately informed leadership. Initially, they thought I was joking, but soon realized the severity of the issue. I involved the Product Management team to communicate with impacted customers while I focused on finding a fix. Within 30-40 minutes, I had a solution. I tested it thoroughly, validated it in a test region, and gathered approvals for a hotfix. Within 30 hours, we rolled out the fix to all regions. This experience taught me: 1. High-Quality Code Is Non-Negotiable: Quality code and thorough testing are critical, especially at scale. 2. Ownership Earns Respect: Taking responsibility rather than deflecting blame is crucial in resolving issues. 3. Communication Is Key: Proactive communication with leadership and customers maintains trust. 4. Learn and Reflect: Reflecting on mistakes and learning from them is what makes us better. I survived one of my worst mistakes by owning, fixing, and growing. Mistakes happen, but it’s how we respond that defines us. What's your biggest mistake, and what did it teach you?

In 2011, the Amazon Appstore failed on launch and Jeff Bezos was furious. It was my fault, and I handled one aspect of recovery so poorly that one of my engineers quit. I still regret it 14 years later. Please learn from my mistake. The main lesson is that when you are leading through a crisis, it can feel like it is all about you. It isn’t. It is about: 1) Solving the problem 2) Guiding your team through it The product issue was that there were some pretty simple bugs, and we solved those problem well enough that I was eventually promoted. Where I failed was in guiding my team through the crisis. My leadership miss was that I neglected to encourage and support the engineer who had written the bad code. He did a great job stepping up and supporting the effort to fix the problem, but shortly afterward, he resigned. During the crisis, I failed to make clear to him that we did not blame him for the launch failure despite the bugs. I imagine that left room for him to think we blamed him or that he didn’t belong. It is also possible that others did blame him directly and that I was too caught up in the crisis to realize it. Both instances were my responsibility as the leader of the team. His resignation taught me a valuable lesson about leading through a crisis: No matter how bad the situation is, your team must be your first priority. If you make them feel safe, they will move heaven and earth to fix the problem. If you don’t, they may still fix the problem, but the team itself will never be the same. As a leader, here is how you can give them what they need: 1) Take the blame and do not allow others to be blamed. In some bug cases after this we did not release the name of the engineer outside the team in order to protect them from judgment or blame. 2) Separate fixing the problem from figuring out why it happened. Once the problem is fixed, you can focus on root-causing. This lowers the risk of searching for answers getting confused with searching for someone to blame. 3) Realize that anyone involved in the problem already feels bad. High performers know when they have fallen short and let their team down. As a leader you have to show them the path to growth and success after the crisis. They do not need to be beaten up on- they have taken care of that themselves. 4) See crises and problems as growth opportunities, not personal flaws. Your team comes with you in a crisis whether you like it or not, so you might as well come out stronger on the other side. As a leader, the responsibility for a crisis is yours in two ways: The problem itself and the effect it has on the future of the team. Don’t get too caught up in the first to think about the second. Readers- Has your team survived a crisis? How did you handle it?

Losing hurts. But staying stuck in that loss? That’s the actual failure. We’re taught to see our careers in binary: ↳ Win or lose ↳ Success or failure ↳ Up or out But people who build sustainable success know different: They don’t win or lose. They win or they learn. Here’s what many others miss: The learning days outnumber the winning days. By a lot. And every setback is showing you something: 📌 Flub the presentation → Get better at storytelling 📌 Mangle the pitch → Sharpen your message 📌 Miss the deadline → Build better habits 📌 Botch the promotion → Clarify your values 📌 Lose the job → Find your path The pattern? What feels like failure in the moment becomes the foundation for what’s next. But only if you stop treating loss like defeat. 3 ways people who keep learning reframe setbacks: 1/ They extract the lesson quickly ↳ “What did this reveal about my approach?” ↳ “What would I do differently knowing what I know now?” ↳ Turn the sting into strategy before moving on. 2/ They separate outcome from effort ↳ A bad result doesn’t always mean bad work. ↳ Sometimes you do everything right and still lose. ↳ The market shifts, timing’s off, it wasn’t the fit. 3/ They keep a “setback inventory” ↳ Track what each “no” taught you. ↳ Notice patterns in what’s working vs what’s not. ↳ Use failures as data, not identity. Your biggest learns will come from your hardest losses. Not despite them. Because of them. This isn’t toxic positivity. Losing still hurts. Rejection still stings. Setbacks still shake your confidence. But staying stuck in shame? That’s optional. Remember: Failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s part of the process. The question isn’t whether you’ll lose. You will. The question is: will you learn? ♻️ Share to help someone learn 👉 Follow me, Maryann (MJ), for mindset-led career growth 📷 Image: @insighttimer (IG)

Not all failures are equally intelligent. Blindly embracing failure without structured learning leads to wasted effort. The most innovative and inclusive teams don’t fail randomly—they: 🔹 Run experiments with clear hypotheses 🔹 Test assumptions rather than take blind risks 🔹 Extract insights from failures and iterate But here’s the catch—learning from failure requires psychological safety. Without an environment where people feel safe to share mistakes, challenge ideas, and admit uncertainty, failure becomes a silent roadblock instead of a stepping stone. 💡 Leaders set the tone. Here are 3 practical ways to foster intelligent failure: 1️⃣ Track “good failures” as a key metric Most teams track success metrics—but what if you also tracked learning-driven failures? Encourage teams to document failures that led to valuable insights, prevented bigger mistakes, or refined an approach. 2️⃣ Design “pre-mortem” sessions before major decisions Instead of only analyzing failures after they happen, conduct pre-mortems: 🔹 Ask, “If this project were to fail, what might have caused it?” 🔹 Gather diverse perspectives to uncover risks early 🔹 Strategize preventive actions to minimize blind spots This approach reduces costly mistakes while creating an inclusive space for open dialogue. 3️⃣ Assign a “Red Team” to challenge assumptions Cognitive biases and groupthink often lead to avoidable failures. Before implementing a major decision, assign a rotating "Red Team" to stress-test ideas by deliberately challenging assumptions, questioning the data, and proposing alternative perspectives. 💭 What’s one thing you do to turn failure into a learning opportunity in your team? Let’s share insights! 🔔 Follow me to learn more about building inclusive, high-performing teams. __________________________ 🌟 Hi there! I’m Susanna, an accredited Fearless Organization Scan Practitioner with 10+ years of experience in workplace inclusion. I help companies build inclusive cultures where diverse, high-performing teams thrive with psychological safety. Let’s unlock your team’s full potential together!

Mistakes are an inevitable part of the human experience, both in our personal and professional lives. Despite our best intentions, errors and missteps occur. However, it is not the mistakes themselves that define us, but rather how we choose to respond and learn from them. Mistakes provide us with valuable learning opportunities. They offer insights into areas where we can improve, helping us grow both personally and professionally. When we approach mistakes with a mindset of curiosity and a willingness to learn, we can extract valuable lessons that contribute to our development and success. Learning from mistakes involves acknowledging and taking responsibility for our actions. It requires humility and a willingness to reflect on our choices and behaviors. By examining the root causes of our mistakes, we can identify patterns, uncover gaps in knowledge or skills, and develop strategies to prevent similar errors in the future. Furthermore, learning from mistakes promotes resilience. It allows us to bounce back stronger and more prepared to face future challenges. By understanding the consequences of our mistakes and making necessary adjustments, we build resilience and develop the skills to overcome obstacles and setbacks with greater ease. Moreover, learning from mistakes is not solely an individual endeavor; it also benefits teams and organizations. Creating a culture that encourages open communication and learning from mistakes fosters innovation and growth. When individuals feel safe to share their mistakes, experiences, and insights, it unleashes collective learning, enables the sharing of best practices, and drives continuous improvement. It's important to remember that mistakes should not be dwelled upon or turned into a source of shame. Instead, they should be viewed as stepping stones towards progress and success. By embracing a growth mindset and understanding that mistakes are an integral part of the learning process, we can develop resilience, gain valuable insights, and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement. In conclusion, mistakes are inevitable, but they should never be feared or avoided. Embracing and learning from mistakes is essential for personal and professional growth. When we approach mistakes as opportunities for learning, we transform setbacks into stepping stones, enabling us to become more resilient, knowledgeable, and successful in our endeavors.

Stop arguing with people about their lived experiences simply because it doesn't match your own. Instead of trying to disprove them, just listen. Ask yourself, 'why has my experience been different?' The discomfort you feel is a mirror, sit with it. Growth doesn’t come from staying comfortable or always being right. It comes from sitting with the uncomfy feelings, wrestling with new perspectives that challenge your own ideals, and letting them change you. Being willing to be uncomfortable is a strength. And being willing to sit with it will be the greatest gift you ever give yourself.

If failure was a supervillain, it would be Thanos. Looks all-powerful... but can be overcome. For years, I treated failure like the end of the story. The thing to avoid. The thing to fear. The thing that told me, definitively, “You’re not good enough.” But here’s what I’ve learned after 25 years of working in pressure-filled environments: Failure doesn’t close the chapter, it often writes the next one. A Stanford study on performance setbacks found something fascinating. When people were encouraged to reflect on failures as data, not identity, they bounced back faster, and improved long-term outcomes. → In fact, participants who reframed failure as a temporary result rather than a personal flaw showed 32% higher persistence rates. And there’s more. In sports psychology, it’s known as “constructive failure exposure.” Athletes who regularly face controlled failures in training develop faster reaction times and sharper decision-making under pressure. Why? Because they’ve felt the sting, and learned how to respond. That’s exactly how it’s played out for me. The shows that flopped. The deals that didn’t land. The podcast episodes that just didn’t connect. They hurt... yes. But each one taught me more than a win ever could. → They taught me to ask better questions. → To course-correct earlier. → To trust myself more when the next challenge came. Because once you realise failure doesn’t define you, you take away its power. So next time you feel like it’s all falling apart, remember: Even Thanos was beatable. What looks like the end might just be the turning point — but only if you’re willing to stand back up. You in?

AI models like ChatGPT and Claude are powerful, but they aren’t perfect. They can sometimes produce inaccurate, biased, or misleading answers due to issues related to data quality, training methods, prompt handling, context management, and system deployment. These problems arise from the complex interaction between model design, user input, and infrastructure. Here are the main factors that explain why incorrect outputs occur: 1. Model Training Limitations AI relies on the data it is trained on. Gaps, outdated information, or insufficient coverage of niche topics lead to shallow reasoning, overfitting to common patterns, and poor handling of rare scenarios. 2. Bias & Hallucination Issues Models can reflect social biases or create “hallucinations,” which are confident but false details. This leads to made-up facts, skewed statistics, or misleading narratives. 3. External Integration & Tooling Issues When AI connects to APIs, tools, or data pipelines, miscommunication, outdated integrations, or parsing errors can result in incorrect outputs or failed workflows. 4. Prompt Engineering Mistakes Ambiguous, vague, or overloaded prompts confuse the model. Without clear, refined instructions, outputs may drift off-task or omit key details. 5. Context Window Constraints AI has a limited memory span. Long inputs can cause it to forget earlier details, compress context poorly, or misinterpret references, resulting in incomplete responses. 6. Lack of Domain Adaptation General-purpose models struggle in specialized fields. Without fine-tuning, they provide generic insights, misuse terminology, or overlook expert-level knowledge. 7. Infrastructure & Deployment Challenges Performance relies on reliable infrastructure. Problems with GPU allocation, latency, scaling, or compliance can lower accuracy and system stability. Wrong outputs don’t mean AI is "broken." They show the challenge of balancing data quality, engineering, context management, and infrastructure. Tackling these issues makes AI systems stronger, more dependable, and ready for businesses. #LLM

In our careers, we often look for perfect preparation, the right certification, the ideal plan, the guaranteed outcome. But most meaningful growth doesn’t come that way. It comes from missed deadlines that taught prioritization. From difficult conversations that built leadership. From projects that failed and sharpened judgment far more than successes ever could. Experience rarely warns you in advance. It evaluates you first… then explains why. The professionals who progress fastest aren’t the ones who avoid mistakes, they’re the ones who extract lessons quickly and apply them immediately. So the next time something doesn’t go as planned, don’t rush to label it a setback. Ask: 👉 What skill did this just force me to develop? 👉 What decision will I make differently next time? 👉 How can this compound into future confidence? Because in the long run, experience doesn’t just teach competence, it builds resilience. And resilience is what turns careers into careers worth remembering. #CareerGrowth #Leadership #Learning #ProfessionalDevelopment #Resilience