Permission to fail
Leaders often grapple with the challenge of finding the right balance between micromanaging and giving their teams the freedom to learn from their mistakes. Early on, my own approach involved identifying risks, discussing mitigation strategies, and, when things went wrong, issuing the dreaded “I told you so.” Over time, I’ve learned the importance of fine-tuning my communication to make it constructive throughout the process, but it’s still a delicate balance. This dynamic is very similar to parenting. As parents, we frequently find it easier to set boundaries for our kids than for our team members. At home, things feel more straightforward—if you drop a plate, it breaks; if you touch something hot, you get burned. Consequences are often immediate and clear-cut. The longest delay might be failing a test due to a lack of studying, but even then, it’s a direct and teachable moment. When my oldest child, who has always been interested in cars, started practicing for their driver’s test, t...