Are You Learning From Your Mistakes?There’s an issue out there in the world of business leadership and particular among those who are fledgling entrepreneurs – no matter what field they’re in. That issue? That mistakes are always a bad thing.

Sure, a mistake might cost you time or money. It may frustrate you and make it harder to reach your goals. But the reality is that we’re all human, and everyone makes mistakes. But as detailed in the new Tonja Demoff book “Twist and Trust: Finding Your Way When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn”, it’s using those mistakes to your advantage that sets successful people apart from those who struggle to succeed.

The Keys To Using Mistakes

Like it or not, mistakes are going to happen. You’ll mess up, your employees will mess up, and sometimes the universe will just throw a curveball your way that you can’t dodge. It’s how you react to these mistakes or unforeseen challenges that makes all the difference in the world. You’ll find lots of great tools and resources by visiting http://www.virtualREconsulting.com, but let’s start by just looking at a few fundamental points to remember.

  • What Caused It? – First, look into what led to the mistake. Were you ignoring something that you shouldn’t have been? If so, now you’ll know to give it your attention. Knowing the root cause of any issue will help you adjust your strategy and avoid it in the future.
  • What’s The End Result? – Forget your emotions and frustration for a minute. Step back and really look at what the end result of a mistake is going to be. How much did it cost your company? Did you lose something irreplaceable? Taking stock of the damage will help put things in perspective. Often, it’s not as bad as it seems.
  • How Can You Deal With It? – The best business leaders don’t just give up when a problem arises. Instead, they learn from the mistake and adjust their strategy accordingly. Just because an issue exists doesn’t mean you can’t overcome it – you just have to take the right approach.

Knowing how to learn from and deal with mistakes and issues is the key to being a successful leader. Look at how you’re approaching things when they go wrong and you might spot different ways to improve your leadership skills.