• Contact
  • My Account
  • Log In
  • 0Shopping Cart
thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World
  • About
  • Services
  • eLearning
  • Team
  • Blog
  • Clients
  • Books
  • Contact
  • Menu Menu

Build your skills! Take our eLearning courses on TITAN!

World-class eLearning courses with videos, exercises, downloads, and a certificate of completion. Get started today!

Structured Thought: Problem Solving
Structured Thought and Communication
Strategic Business Planning
Principles of Chart Design eLearning Course
Engagement Management
Deliberate Decision Making
Breakthrough Innovation
Everything is Negotiable
Leading through Change
Storytelling for Leaders
Storytelling for Salespeople
Building Leadership Resilience
Compelling Executive Presence
Coaching for Impact
Building Personal Resilience
Building Personal Resilience
Wide Banner SPS
Wide Banner STC
Wide Banner SBP
Wide Banner PCD
Wide Banner ENM
Wide Banner DDM
Wide Banner BTI
Wide Banner EIN
Wide Banner LTC
Wide Banner SFL
Wide Banner SFS
Wide Banner BLR
Wide Banner CEP
Wide Banner CFI
Wide Banner BPR
Wide Banner TMM
previous arrow
next arrow

How Leaders Turn Screw-Ups into Learning Opportunities

August 15, 2011/12 Comments/in Leadership, Training /by Mike Figliuolo

Tank stuck in mudFor many of us, screwing up is in our DNA. It happens. Call it Murphy if you like, but it happens. When this happens to someone on your team and you’re in a leadership role, however, the implications of a mistake can be far reaching.

The most important aspect of these kinds of events, however, isn’t the incident itself. As a leader, the most important part is your reaction to these events. Those reactions are what end up defining you in the eyes of your team. Allow me to illustrate.

In my younger days as a tank platoon leader, I was prone to take some pretty bold risks. On one occasion, I decided it was a good idea to abandon the plan my commander had written and lead my platoon down a different route. That route happened to go through what the map said was a swamp. It didn’t look like a swamp to me though.

I was wrong. It was a swamp. (Note: when the map says “swamp” it is a swamp). Imagine a 68-ton vehicle stuck in mud 3-5′ deep. Now imagine me standing atop said tank waiting to get chewed out by my commander. Can you say “awkward?”

When he showed up, he smirked and said something that caught me by surprise.

“That’s a good stuck.” It felt like he was a bear playing with a bunny before it mauls it.

“Yes sir. It is.”

“Okay. Help your crew get it out. Tell me if you need anything.” A wave of befuddlement washed over me.

“You’re not mad? Aren’t you going to rip my head off?”

“Why? It was a dumb mistake but it’s not worth ripping you. Did you learn something about your vehicle’s capabilities? Are you ever going to drive through a swamp again?”

“Yes sir. No sir.”

“Lesson learned. Get it un-stuck.” He strode off leaving me in awe of how he transformed what could have been a significant emotional event into a positive learning experience. Needless to say my (and my team’s) esteem for him rose dramatically that day. He knew we knew we made a mistake – no reason to rub it in. Instead, he taught.

Contrast that event with another one of my infamous platoon leader screw ups (I made a bunch of oopsies as a young lieutenant). At tank gunnery, we had a flash fire on my vehicle during a live fire training. The fire suppression system went off (which was loud and scary). We thought our ammunition had caught fire too. We evacuated the vehicle. Our procedure for doing so was less than textbook (Can you say “Keystone Cops?”).

Fortunately, everyone was okay. Unfortunately, a reasonably seasoned officer witnessed the event. In that moment, he chose to berate instead of teach. He ripped me for the awkward evacuation. He ripped me for some hydraulic fluid leaking from the bottom of my tank (FYI – ALL tanks leak). He did all of this in front of my soldiers and my peers.

Not once did he stop to ask if we were okay. Never did it enter his mind to find something to teach me about. Nope. His sole intent was to excoriate. Sure he got his point across but he lost exponentially more points in respect than the single point in “rightness” he scored.

Screw ups will happen. As a leader, people will judge you by your reaction to said mistakes. Don’t take it lightly. Both of these incidents happened 15 years ago and I remember them vividly. So do many of my friends who were there. Both of these men formed their image as leaders in some small part those days – one favorable, one not so much.

How will you show up as a leader during the next screw up? How will you take that opportunity to teach instead of torture? It might seem small but that event will be larger than you can imagine. Make sure you create that positive learning event.

– Mike Figliuolo at thoughtLEADERS, LLC
– Grab a presale copy of my upcoming book One Piece of Paper. CLICK HERE to get yours!

https://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/logo.png 0 0 Mike Figliuolo https://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/logo.png Mike Figliuolo2011-08-15 09:17:012013-11-10 18:44:29How Leaders Turn Screw-Ups into Learning Opportunities
12 replies
  1. Jonathan
    Jonathan says:
    August 15, 2011 at 11:58 am

    I once was in an M113 (despite not normally performing as a cav scout) that helped a young lieutenant and his stuck M1 out of similar scrape. He was stuck trying to cross a small creek. As soon as we pulled him out he signalled us to follow him as he headed right back for the same hole he had just made. Luckily, another LT with us was able to convince him to take a different route, however, after about 15 minutes following him around the two 113s deserted him to rejoin the battle rather than chase our tales. Sometimes leaders just aren’t as lost as they want to be. This incident helped me to see not only the right way to keep someone from making the same mistake, but that no matter how hard you try some people just insist on being wrong.

    Reply
    • Mike Figliuolo
      Mike Figliuolo says:
      August 20, 2011 at 7:36 am

      If folks aren’t able to learn from their mistakes, hopefully they either choose another field of endeavor or you help choose it for them. Clearly they’re not cut out for that particular role so your responsibility as a leader is first to train them to competence. If you’re unable to do that, you’re responsible for moving them to a more suitable role. In not doing so, you’re hurting them by allowing them to continue to fail and you’re hurting the team as well because the team has to clean up the mistakes.

      Reply
  2. Steve
    Steve says:
    August 16, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    I would add to your suggested reading list, “Influencer, the Power to Change Anything” since it applies directly to the scenario you’ve described. I’m not much for model of the day approaches – but the concept that’s introduced (by the same people who brought us “Crucial Conversations”) offers an important distinction:

    Under certain conditions, especially very stressful ones, my behavior is different.

    Assuming that both leaders that Mike describes are equally competent (big assumption) – how does their behavior when under fire (in this case literally)…?

    This is an important distinction. We often approach leadership development only from the skills side. Here, we have to influence leaders to use failure as a coachable moment – and to do it even when the pressure is high. That means finding ways to turn failures into lessons needs to become so much of a habit for leaders, that they do it no matter what.

    Reply
    • Rita
      Rita says:
      August 18, 2011 at 10:40 am

      I cannot agree more with the power of influencing in a leadership role.

      Even when their is a whole lot of pressure. Humans make mistakes, no matter how perfect we are. Maybe, thats what’s wrong with our economy. If leaders influenced their workers maybe people would not have given up so fast.

      I enjoyed reading your comments.

      Thank you

      Reply
    • Mike Figliuolo
      Mike Figliuolo says:
      August 20, 2011 at 7:38 am

      You’re right – situational leadership absolutely matters. Under fire and pressure people definitely make mistakes. The thing is it’s a question of the implications of that situation and how they affect the mistake. If your high pressure situation is getting a PowerPoint done at the last minute, a mistake is a lot more acceptable than if the situation is one where a vehicle is on fire. That’s why one of the skills we trained on was leadership in stressful situations so both dynamics were encompassed in the training.

      Reply
  3. Al
    Al says:
    August 18, 2011 at 9:13 am

    When I was young and starting out in business, I had made what i thought to be a major mistake. I was expecting to be reamed a new one since the owner of the company was known to be rather harsh as a former IRS executive.
    Instead, he simply made sure it was rectifiable and told me “The only person that never makes a mistake is the one that never does anything.”
    I have carried that philosophy with me over the years and have tried to be reassuring to the people I supervise when minor glitches appear and simply contribute it to the learning process.

    Reply
    • Mike Figliuolo
      Mike Figliuolo says:
      August 20, 2011 at 7:41 am

      I love that boss. He did exactly the right thing. Also, the phrase he gave you is a PERFECT leadership maxim – a phrase or reminder of a powerful emotional moment that can be used in future situations to change behavior. I’m sure every time you run across a subordinate who does something boneheaded, you reach for this phrase to guide you how to behave. I encourage you to come share this maxim over on the Leadership Maxims Forum for my upcoming book One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful, Personal Leadership (http://www.onepieceofpaper.com)

      Reply
  4. Brian
    Brian says:
    August 19, 2011 at 11:43 am

    What about those people who keep getting stuck in the same “swamp” over and over and over again? Those are the people that sometimes the stick needs to be bigger than the carrot.

    Reply
    • Mike Figliuolo
      Mike Figliuolo says:
      August 20, 2011 at 7:42 am

      Sure, the carrot first, then the stick, then the pink slip (figuratively). See my comment above on retraining folks and if that doesn’t work, your responsibility as a leader to move them to more appropriate roles.

      Reply
  5. MOHAMMED
    MOHAMMED says:
    August 20, 2011 at 4:27 am

    This was a very useful information that everyone needs to know regarding leadership qualities………..nice one…thanks for your post

    Reply
  6. Frank S.
    Frank S. says:
    August 22, 2011 at 12:02 pm

    Good lesson. As a former M-1 Abrams tank crewmember, I can sympathize with you and your crewmembers. Whether privates in the Army or subordinates in any orginazation, they watch how leaders react when its crunch time. Your CO handled it perfectly. Given the circumstances, the most important element of the exercise was the take-away, which for all was positive. A leader must display coolness during crisis as your people will feed directly from it-positive or negative. As our business models evolve, we focus less on two important concepts which I call “Operational Aggressiveness” and “Situational Initiative”. These were both learned by you in your first example. It encourages the leader to make decisions and learn valuable lessons within an orginaztion that both promotes breaking paradigms and dare I say, think outside the box, as well as offer constructive feedback and coaching and not breaking the spirit and resolve of the leader.

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. How Leaders Turn Screw-Ups into Learning Opportunities | Public Education in the 21st Century | Scoop.it says:
    June 20, 2012 at 12:18 pm

    […] http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com – Today, 9:16 AM […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get free blog posts by email NOW!

It’s the best 5 minutes a week you can spend on your development.

Subscribe HERE!


All Contacts

Get new posts FREE via RSS!
Follow thoughtLEADERS on LinkedInFollow thoughtLEADERS on twitter
This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
 

Check Out Our Courses

Our courses teach immediately applicable skills that have real impact on your business. From leadership to strategy and negotiation to conflict resolution, we have a broad set of course offerings that will drive immediate performance improvements.
OUR COURSES

Our Courses

Group of Business People Meeting
Puzzle Pieces
Glasses Looking Over Cityscape
Doors on a Wall
Cog Wheels
Man Reading Book
Fishing hook in the sea
Microphone in Lecture Hall
Charts on Blue Background
Wristwatch
Exploding Light Bulb
Man on Summit of Mountain
Lightning Bolts
Man Painting the Word Change on a Wall
Construction Cranes
Plant Growing in a Hand
High Performance Gears
Men Shaking Hands Closeup
Influence Definition
Sailboat at Sunset
Hanging light bulbs with glowing one isolated on dark blue background
Wagon Wheel
Executive Communications
Structured Problem Solving
Creating Leadership Maxims
Leading inside the Box
Deliberate Decision Making
Simple Strategic Planning
Storytelling for Leaders
Storytelling for Sales
Executive Presence
Principles of Chart Design
Time Management Mastery
Breakthrough Innovation
Leadership Resilience
Conflict Resolution
Leading through Change
Project Management Reality
Coaching for Impact
High Performing Teams
Everything is Negotiable
Leading with Influence
Building Personal Resilience
thoughtLEADERSHIP
Engagement Management
previous arrow
next arrow
 

eLearning Courses on TITAN

Structured Thought: Problem Solving
Puzzle Pieces
Structured Thought: Problem Solving

Clearly define a problem, scope all issues related to the problem, generate potential solutions, then analyze and select the best solution by using time-tested critical thinking methods and tools.

VIEW COURSE
Structured Thought and Communication
Group of Business People Meeting
Structured Thought and Communication

Craft clear and compelling recommendations that resonate with stakeholders. Get your ideas approved by using a proven method for delivering executive-level communications.

VIEW COURSE
Principles of Chart Design
Different Types of Line and Bar Charts
Principles of Chart Design

Create well-designed presentation charts that get your message across quickly and clearly to drive your audience to action. From data charts to concept charts, these methods help make your point.

VIEW COURSE
Engagement Management
Wagon Wheel
Engagement Management

Whether you’re an internal or external consultant or a project leader, learn proven methods, techniques, and processes to effectively lead consulting engagements that drive your client’s success.

VIEW COURSE
Strategic Business Planning
Cog Wheels
Strategic Business Planning

Use a straightforward and effective strategic planning process that shows how to craft a clear, compelling plan for your organization - not just one time, but on an ongoing basis year after year.

VIEW COURSE
Deliberate Decision Making
Deliberate Decision Making
Deliberate Decision Making

Make better, faster, and more effective decisions. Apply simple yet powerful decision making tools to define decision authority, manage risk, increase accountability, and drive execution.

VIEW COURSE
Everything is Negotiable
Men Shaking Hands
Everything is Negotiable

Become a better negotiator in all situations – from day to day interactions to hammering out large deals. Build the skills required to get what you want and strengthen relationships while you do.

VIEW COURSE
Breakthrough Innovation
Exploding Lightbulb
Breakthrough Innovation

Generate and select unique strategies that separate you from the competition. Construct bold and disruptive solutions then build and execute a plan for taking those strategies to market.

VIEW COURSE
Storytelling for Leaders
Man reading stories from a book
Storytelling for Leaders

Create business stories that inspire people, build connections with your audience, and ultimately advance your organization's goals by using a repeatable, straightforward method.

VIEW COURSE
Storytelling for Salespeople
Storytelling for Salespeople
Storytelling for Salespeople

Create and deliver stories that will take your sales efforts to the next level. Connect with and convince buyers in all situations using memorable stories. These stronger relationships drive more sales.

VIEW COURSE
Leading through Change
Leading through Change
Leading through Change

Lead your organization through the most challenging times using a proven change management process. Get people through the change and back to driving performance quickly and effectively.

VIEW COURSE
Building Leadership Resilience
Mountain Climbing Expedition
Building Leadership Resilience

Prepare your body and brain to be ready for and recover from your biggest challenges. Build approaches for overcoming stress, managing reactions to difficult events, and leading more effectively.

VIEW COURSE
Compelling Executive Presence
Compelling Executive Presence
Compelling Executive Presence

Build your ability to connect with your audience and convey your ideas in a clear and resonant way. Create meaningful connections between you and your audience to build buy-in.

VIEW COURSE
Coaching for Impact
Plant Growing in a Hand
Coaching for Impact: Foundation Course

Coach employees for performance and development more effectively by helping them identify and pursue their own solutions. Create the right environment and conditions to help them grow.

VIEW COURSE
Building Personal Resilience
Boat at Sunset
Building Personal Resilience

Build the habits and learn the behaviors required to manage stress, deal with adversity, and maintain your physical and mental wellbeing. Personal resilience is a key to your ongoing success.

VIEW COURSE
Time Management Mastery
Watches
Time Management Mastery

Learn techniques to manage your time, delegate, say “no,” and be more efficient. Balance your limited supply of time with the overwhelming demands that are placed on you every day.

VIEW COURSE
previous arrow
next arrow

Books You MUST Read

The Elegant Pitch
One Piece of Paper by Mike Figliuolo
Lead Inside the Box
10 Stories Great Leaders Tell
Getting Ahead
Sell with a Story
Lead with a Story
Mastering Communication at Work
The Hook
Innovative Leadership Fieldbook
Innovative Leaders Guide to Transforming Organizations
The Three Commitments of Leadership
The Littlest Green Beret
Storytelling in the Land of Oz
The Camino Way
The Power of Surge
Red Shoes Living book
The Inner Matrix book
The Elegant Pitch
One Piece of Paper by Mike Figliuolo
Lead Inside the Box
10 Stories Great Leaders Tell
Getting Ahead
Sell with a Story - Border
Lead with a Story
Leading from Your Best Self
Mastering Communication at Work
The Hook
Innovative Leadership Fieldbook
Innovative Leaders Guide to Transforming Organizations
20120318 Three Commitments
Leadership Vertigo
The Littlest Green Beret
Storytelling in the Land of Oz
The Camino Way
Hijacked by Your Brain
Outthink the Competition
Driving Innovation from Within
The Power of Surge
Red Shoes Living
The Inner Matrix
previous arrow
next arrow
  • The Elegant Pitch
  • The Vision Code
  • The Power of Surge
  • Red Shoes Living
  • The Inner Matrix

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Categories

Our Course Offerings

Leadership Skills

Creating Your Leadership Maxims
Leading Inside the Box
Leading With Influence
Leading Through Change
Structured Problem Solving
Deliberate Decision Making
High Performing Teams
Simplified Strategic Planning
Strategic Business Planning
Coaching for Impact: Foundations
Coaching for Impact: Applications
Building Leadership Resilience
Engagement Management
Project Management Reality

Communication Skills

Communications: Foundations
Communications: Applications
Principles of Chart Design
Storytelling for Leaders
Storytelling for Salespeople
Compelling Executive Presence
Advanced Facilitation Skills

Individual Skills

Conflict Resolution
Everything is Negotiable
thoughtLEADERSHIP: Innovation
Building Personal Resilience
Time Management Mastery

Coaching & Consulting

©2022 thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World. thoughtLEADERS, LLC is a registered trademark of thoughtLEADERS, LLC.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
Coaches Aren’t Just for Athletes Successful Negotiating Requires You to Leave Money on the Table
Scroll to top