The power of learning through mistakes
Do you remember being a child, running freely, feeling invincible—until the inevitable happened? A stumble, a fall and scraped knees. For a brief moment, the world stood still. Pain surged, tears welled up, but then, something magical happened. We got up. We learned. We adapted. And soon, we were running again—stronger, wiser, more surefooted.
Yet, somewhere along the way, we unlearned this simple truth. As we grew older, we were taught that mistakes should be avoided at all costs. Perfection became the goal, and failure turned into something to be feared. I know that this is what happened to me. In fact, I don’t think I grazed my knees much and became very risk averse and overly cautious.
What if, instead of shielding ourselves and others from failure, we embraced it as part of the learning process? What if we allowed people to graze their knees? I remember the time in my life that I took bold steps to overcome perfectionism and how good it felt to shed that limiting belief and be brave and dare to make mistakes.
Mistakes are not the enemy—Stagnation is!
In my years of working with leaders, teams and individuals, I have found that the most successful people are not those who avoid mistakes, but those who learn from them. They have cultivated a growth mindset—the belief that intelligence, skills and abilities are not fixed, but develop through effort, persistence and learning.
Dr Carol Dweck’s research on mindset highlights this so well. Those with a fixed mindset see failure as a reflection of their abilities, something to be avoided at all costs. But those with a growth mindset see failure as feedback. They extract lessons, adjust their approach, and try again.
When we are afraid to make mistakes, we become paralysed by perfectionism, procrastination and self-doubt. We play it safe, never stretching beyond our comfort zones. And the tragedy? We limit not only our own growth but also the growth of those around us.
Create a culture that embraces learning
Whether you are a leader, a parent, a mentor or simply someone who influences others (and trust me, you do), you have a choice. You can create an environment that demands perfection and punishes failure, or you can cultivate one that encourages exploration, resilience and learning.
Here are Key Steps to help foster a culture that allows people to graze their knees, grow from it and really…
‘be the difference that makes the difference.’
- Redefine failure – Instead of seeing mistakes as a fatal flaw or something to be ashamed of, reframe them as opportunities for growth. Ask, “What can we learn from this?” instead of “Who is to blame?”
- Model vulnerability – If you are in a position of leadership, be open about your own mistakes and what you have learned from them. This creates psychological safety and encourages others to take calculated risks.
- Praise effort, not just outcomes – Acknowledge perseverance, creativity and problem-solving, rather than focusing solely on success. This helps people detach their self-worth from performance outcomes and encourages continuous improvement and effort.
- Encourage experimentation – Provide space for trial and error. Innovation thrives when people feel safe enough to test new ideas without fear of criticism.
- Teach resilience – When things don’t go as planned, guide people through the process of reflection and adaptation. Remind them that setbacks are temporary and often necessary for growth.
When we were children, every scraped knee was a lesson in resilience. Every fall was an invitation to rise again. The same principle applies throughout life. Mistakes are not something to be feared or avoided—they are stepping stones to mastery, wisdom and success. So, let’s stop trying to cushion every fall. Let’s stop demanding perfection from ourselves and those around us. Instead, let’s create a world where people are free to stumble, learn and ultimately…
‘be the difference that makes the difference.’
