My Favorite Mistake is a leadership podcast about learning from mistakes without blame — in business, healthcare, and organizational life.
Hosted by author and consultant Mark Graban, each episode features an honest conversation with a leader, executive, or entrepreneur about a real mistake they made — and what changed because of it. How they responded. How their thinking shifted. How they led differently afterward.
The Podcast
This isn't a show about failure theater or schadenfreude. It's a serious look at how leaders make decisions under uncertainty, miss things in hindsight, and build better habits — without scapegoating or shame.
Every guest answers the same opening question: What's your favorite mistake? What follows is a candid, reflective conversation about the decision context, the consequences, and the leadership lessons that came out of it.
The Perspective
Mark brings a Lean management and systems-thinking lens to every conversation. The focus is less on who made the mistake and more on what the system, the culture, or the decision-making process reveals. If you're interested in psychological safety, continuous improvement, or building organizations where people can speak up — this show is built for you.
Who This Podcast Is For
- Leaders and managers who want to learn from mistakes without blame
- Executives building cultures of psychological safety and continuous improvement
- Healthcare, manufacturing, and business professionals who believe reflection beats punishment
What You'll Hear:
- Leadership mistakes that reshaped careers, teams, and organizations
- How leaders make better decisions after getting something wrong
- The role of psychological safety in building honest, high-performing teams
- Culture, communication, and the systems that allow mistakes to go unaddressed
- Practical lessons from real experience — not motivational platitudes
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If you’re interested in learning, improving, and leading more thoughtfully, subscribe to My Favorite Mistake and explore the power of learning from mistakes—one conversation at a time.
Recognition & Community
The podcast has been recognized by platforms such as Goodpods and Listen Notes and is part of the Lean Communicators network.
Note: I’m intentional about featuring guests who reflect the diversity of the United States, while also including international voices and perspectives.