“Permission to screw up” by Kristen Hadeed was a worthy two-day reading and fun get-away from more hardcore leadership books that I have been reading lately. The exciting aspect of this book is that it does not teach you anything new, perhaps. But it certainly makes you feel what leadership is about, and sometimes, it is more critical than just knowing. The book teaches you not the hardship but the magnitude of it that comes with leadership. It shows you the mistakes and, more importantly, how they affect you emotionally. Making mistakes is one thing, but recovering from their consequences, developing resilience, and turning them into your strengths is entirely a different beast.
Often you will hear how fine it is to make mistakes. But, it is not the mistakes that are valuable. It is the actions you take afterward. The book demonstrates this critical step using real-life examples of the author, Kristen. You definitely might want to do something about your mistakes after they happen. It could be reading a book about the subject, joining a support group, networking to expand your understanding of the matter, or brainstorming, etc. But a mistake is not a teachable moment on its own unless it is used as the basis of follow-up action. The permission to screw up is powerful for enabling you to take action for your ideals rather than being paralyzed by the thoughts of future mistakes. And the confidence that comes with freeing from always-right is precisely what Kristen demonstrates in her book.
One important lesson you keep hearing as the underlying principle in this book is that some things will not work out no matter how you try. Every logical and calculated step we take will only increase the chance of success, not guarantee it. This reality is a liberating realization so that you won’t blame yourself for the failures all the time. You plan for the future, execute for it, and take whatever opportunities presented in the failure or success you achieved and feel grateful.
With the occasional laughs the book gives you, it has many hard-earned lessons that will teach you the magnitude of challenges leaders go through in their lives.