Mark Graban | Lean Leadership, Psychological Safety, Continuous Improvement
Author, Speaker, Consultant, Podcaster, Entepreneur - "The Mistakes That Make Us"
My Favorite Mistake is a podcast and blog series about learning without blame in business and leadership.
Hosted by Mark Graban, these episodes explore real mistakes—from healthcare, aviation, culture, leadership, and everyday work—and focus on what those moments teach us about systems, decision-making, and improvement.
You’ll find in-depth conversations with guests alongside shorter “Mistake of the Week” stories. The emphasis is never on who messed up, but on how organizations can respond, learn, and lead better.
What started as an awkward detour into a high-pressure MLM sales pitch ended up shaping Tim Spiker’s entire philosophy on leadership. In this episode, Tim shares how one uncomfortable experience …
Continue Reading about The Accidental Leadership Lesson That Changed How Tim Spiker Sees Leaders →
Dr. Noor Ali trained as a physician and surgeon — yet struggled to find meaningful work in the U.S. because of one unexpected mistake: not knowing how to write a resume that translated her experience. …
Continue Reading about The Resume Mistake That Cost a Doctor Her Career — and Led to a New Path →
Ron Magill shares an unforgettable “favorite mistake” from early in his career—how a moment of overconfidence with a crocodile led to a life-changing injury, an unexpected meeting, and a lasting …
Continue Reading about Being Careless with a Crocodile Changed Ron Magill’s Life for the Better →
In his very first independent consulting gig, Jeff Gothelf delivered brutal honesty — and paid for it by getting fired on the spot. This episode explores what happens when truth, ego, and client …
What happens when love, business, and identity collide? Moe Carrick shares a candid story about merging her consulting firm with her husband’s—and the hard-earned lessons about boundaries, leadership, …
Continue Reading about Why Merging a Business with Your Spouse Can Be a Costly Mistake →
Strategy leader and musician Matt Boos shares a career-defining mistake about hiding bad news on a struggling project—and the leadership lesson he learned when his boss responded with trust, candor, …
Continue Reading about Hiding a Late Project Nearly Cost His Credibility as a Leader →
