“The whole point about aviation safety is that you have to have the humility to understand that you are imperfect, because everybody screws up. Everybody makes mistakes. But ultimately, if you can't admit when you're wrong, you're going to kill somebody because your ego is too big.”
— Lt. John Gadzinski, former Navy F-14 pilot
That quote hits like a sonic boom. And it should.
When I came across those words from Lt. Gadzinski — a former Navy fighter pilot who flew combat missions from aircraft carriers — I paused. Then I read it again. Not because I'm in aviation (I'm not), but because the message applies far beyond cockpits and carrier decks. It applies in boardrooms, hospital hallways, manufacturing floors, and startup teams.
Humility keeps people safe. Ego puts them at risk.
In aviation, the consequences of ignoring mistakes can be catastrophic. That's why aviation has built one of the world's most robust cultures of learning from failure. Not because pilots are flawless, but because the best of them know they're not. They anticipate error. They debrief religiously. And they focus on learning — not blaming.
In writing The Mistakes That Make Us, I interviewed more than 200 successful people — leaders, entrepreneurs, doctors, politicians, engineers — and one lesson kept surfacing: success doesn't come from perfection. It comes from humility, reflection, and learning.
And yet… too often, we see the opposite in organizations.
- Mistakes get covered up, not discussed.
- Problems get blamed, not solved.
- Ego gets rewarded, not humility.
That's dangerous. Maybe not “life or death” like in aviation, but dangerous in terms of safety, morale, quality, retention, and innovation.
So why do so many leaders struggle to admit mistakes?
Because admitting a mistake feels vulnerable. It feels like weakness. But here's the twist: in practice, it's the opposite. Vulnerability, as Lt. Gadzinski suggests, is a requirement for safety, growth, and excellence. And when leaders go first — when they admit their own errors — they give others permission to do the same.
That's how we move from silence to transparency. From fear to learning.
But it's not a matter, actually, of asking people to be vulnerable. Vulnerability means that people are at the risk of loss or harm.
Leaders need to behave in ways that REDUCE the level of risk that exists when people speak up–to admit mistakes or otherwise. We're better off when leaders reward people for speaking up instead of punishing them. That's what fosters Psychological Safety.
Feeling safe to admit mistakes, and learning from them, is a function of culture.
Learning from Fighter Pilots, CEOs, and Bourbon Makers
In the book, I write about Garrison Brothers Distillery in Texas. Their master distiller, Donnis Todd, once lost 3,000 bottles of high-value bourbon because he misjudged how long to age the barrels in the Texas heat. A costly error — financially and emotionally.
But he wasn't fired. He wasn't punished. He was encouraged to learn, share the lesson, and improve the process.
That's what a healthy culture looks like: one where mistakes are seen not as threats, but as data — fuel for improvement.
It's the same culture I've seen at Toyota, at KaiNexus, and in countless high-performing teams. It's not about eliminating mistakes (we can't). It's about surfacing them early, reacting kindly, and improving continuously.
What We Can Do as Leaders
If you're a leader, here's the challenge:
- When a mistake happens — and it will — ask: “What did we learn?”
- Admit your own mistakes publicly. Model that humility.
- Create an environment where it's safe for others to do the same.
Because the moment we can't admit we're wrong — that's when the real danger begins. As Gadzinski reminds us, ego unchecked is not just an obstacle. It's a threat.
Let's choose humility. Let's choose learning. Let's cultivate a culture where mistakes are not hidden, but harnessed.
Want more stories and practical insights on building a culture of learning from mistakes?
Check out my book, The Mistakes That Make Us, and listen to conversations with leaders on the My Favorite Mistake podcast.
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Check out my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation:
