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21 August 2024

Owning Your Mistakes Aids in Professional Growth

Capt. Joe Werz

Junior leaders undergo extensive schooling and training before leading soldiers. However, fear of failure still troubles even the most prepared. While most understand that learning from honest mistakes can lead to personal growth, the consequences of failure can feel exceptionally high in stressful environments like the U.S. Army, where performance evaluations are critical for career opportunities and advancement.

Fear of failure can be overcome, but it relies heavily on two individuals: the soldier and their first-line leader.

The most important person involved in coping with failure is the person making the mistake. The hardest part often is the most crucial step: acknowledging the mistake.

When afraid of feeling weak and vulnerable, most people prefer to deflect blame and produce excuses. Truly achieving personal growth requires us to put our ego aside and admit fault. It is often helpful not just to admit the mistake to yourself, but also to admit it to a peer or supervisor.

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