My Favorite Mistake: Learning Without Blame in Business and Leadership

A devastating hospital mistake in Glasgow was described by leaders as “human error,” even as they acknowledged that “very rigorous processes” were not followed. In this episode of The Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban examines why suspensions and discipline don’t guarantee improvement — and how gaps between written procedures and real work create hidden risk. Punishment may feel like accountability...

What happens when a business deal looks solid on paper—but falls apart in real life? Episode page with video, links, and more My guest for Episode #335 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Kevin Hipes, an entrepreneur, author, and former city commissioner who’s been called the “New York Forrest Gump” because of the many lives he’s lived. Kevin shares the story of one of his biggest—and most unfor...

What does a failed bank robbery have to do with one of the most cited ideas in psychology? More than you might expect. In this episode of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban tells the true story of McArthur Wheeler, a man who believed that rubbing lemon juice on his face would make him invisible to security cameras. Confident in his reasoning—and even more confident in his ability to test it—Wheeler...

Episode Page Angie Callen — founder of Career Bend, host of No More Mondays, and author of Scary Good: Discovering Life Beyond the Sunday Scaries — shares why choosing engineering school became her favorite mistake. In this episode, Angie reflects on becoming an engineer despite being deeply people-oriented, how that decision shaped her thinking, and why mistakes that “don’t fit” often unlock clar...

In this week’s Mistake of the Week, a company’s HR team accidentally sent a mass termination email to the entire workforce — including the CEO. The culprit was an offboarding automation tool left in the wrong mode, turning a routine test into a company-wide panic. Mark Graban explores what this moment teaches about automation, human fallibility, and the danger of relying on memory in systems that...

In this episode of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban talks with Jason Sherman, an entrepreneur, startup advisor, and educator, about the early startup mistakes that quietly shape everything that follows. Episode page with transcript, video, and more Jason shares hard-earned lessons about choosing co-founders, distinguishing “smart money” from money alone, and why MVPs should accelerate learning rat...

Why do New Year’s resolutions fail so predictably—and what does that teach us about change at work? In this Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban explores why treating change as a test of willpower is a reliable setup for frustration, both personally and in organizations. Drawing on behavioral psychology and leadership examples, the episode connects failed personal resolutions to common organizational...

Nick Saban calls it “the dumbest decision I ever made” — a fourth-and-one call from the 2001 SEC Championship Game that still sticks with him. In this episode, Mark Graban breaks down why even the greatest coaches make mistakes, what Saban learned from the moment, and how leaders can turn high-pressure missteps into opportunities for trust and growth. Perfect for listeners interested in leadership...

Jingle Bells is one of the most recognizable Christmas songs ever written… except it wasn’t written for Christmas at all. In this week’s Mistake of the Week, we unpack one of America’s most enduring cultural misconceptions: the belief that Jingle Bells has anything to do with Christmas. Originally titled One Horse Open Sleigh, the song debuted at a Thanksgiving church service in the 1850s and was...

In Episode #332 of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban talks with Dr. Josh McConkey — emergency physician, Air Force Reserve Commander, combat-deployed medevac leader, and Pulitzer Prize–nominated author. Known as the “MacGyver Doc,” Josh has spent his career solving problems in high-pressure environments where you rarely get a second chance. Episode page with links, video, transcript, and more Josh...

A 32-year-old woman in Switzerland underwent an unnecessary surgery after her lab sample was mixed up at Basel University Hospital. Doctors believed she had cervical cancer. She didn’t — but the procedure went ahead anyway, potentially affecting her ability to carry a pregnancy in the future. In this Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban unpacks how such devastating but preventable errors happen — and...

My guest for Episode #331 of My Favorite Mistake is Andy Regal, a longtime media executive whose career has included leadership roles at The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Consumer Reports, Court TV, and CBS College Sports. He is also the author of the forthcoming book, “Surviving Bully Culture: A Career Spent Navigating Workplace Bullying and a Guide for Healing.” Episode page with transcript, video...

In this Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban breaks down an incident involving an American Airlines A319 on final approach to Phoenix — captured on video with its landing gear still up. A cockpit alert sounded, the crew realized what was missing, and the pilots executed a safe go-around. Their explanation to air traffic control? A perfectly understated: “It wasn’t configured in the appropriate manner....

My guest for Episode #330 of the  My Favorite Mistake podcast is Debra Clary , a leadership strategist, researcher, and executive coach with more than four decades of experience at organizations including Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana. Episode page with video, transcript, and more She’s also a TEDx speaker , former off-Broadway performer, and the author of the new book The Curios...

My guest for Episode #329 of the  My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. Melissa Robinson-Winemiller , a TEDx speaker, empathy and leadership expert, and author of The Empathic Leader: How EQ via Empathy Transforms Leadership for Better Profit, Productivity, and Innovation . Episode page with video, transcript, and more Melissa shares the story of her “favorite mistake” — leaving her music and academi...

In this edition of Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban tells a story that didn’t appear in any safety report or headline — it happened on a pickleball court. Early in learning the sport, Mark found his old tennis instincts taking over, leading to a very incorrect serve and a moment of embarrassment. What followed was a small but meaningful lesson in feedback, psychological safety, and the challenge o...

In this week’s Mistake of the Week, Mark Graban tells the story of a Maine hospital system that accidentally mailed condolence letters to 531 very-much-alive patients. The cause? A computer glitch — and a few missing fail-safes. Mark explores what this bizarre mix-up reveals about system design, automation, and trust in healthcare. Beyond the absurd headline lies a familiar pattern: when we blame...

We’re going back to Episode 30 from January 2021, featuring Katie Anderson — author of Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn — and Isao Yoshino, the longtime Toyota leader whose career and lessons inspired her book. Episode page with video, transcript, and more It was such a privilege to talk with them then, and even more meaningful now, because I recently got to spend time with Mr. Yoshino in Japan...

My guest for Episode #328 of the  My Favorite Mistake podcast is Emily Aborn , a small business copywriter, speaker, and host of the Small Business Casual podcast . Episode page with video, transcript, and more Emily helps entrepreneurs bring clarity, creativity, and authenticity to their marketing. Before finding her true calling, she owned a brick-and-mortar organic mattress store—a business tha...

My guest for Episode #327 of the  My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. Maya Ackerman , AI pioneer, researcher, and CEO of WaveAI . She’s also an associate professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Santa Clara University and the author of the new book Creative Machines: AI, Art, and Us . EPISODE PAGE WITH VIDEO, TRANSCRIPT, AND MORE In this episode, Maya shares her favorite mistake — one that...

My guest for Episode #326 of the  My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. William Harvey , a manufacturing executive and university professor whose career is defined by developing people, strengthening systems, and driving organizational excellence. A proud U.S. Marine, William carries forward a deep tradition of service and leadership. He also serves as the chair for the 2026 AME International Confere...

In this bonus re-release, we revisit an important and timely conversation with Sabrina Moon, Founder and CEO of The Problem Solving Institute and a certified Dare to Lead™ facilitator. Originally aired as Episode #35 of My Favorite Mistake, this conversation remains one of the most powerful and honest reflections on leadership, shame, and transformation. Episode page with transcript and more 🔍 Wh...

My guest for Episode #325 of the  My Favorite Mistake podcast is Phillip Cantrell , EVP of Strategy at United Real Estate, founder of Benchmark Realty, and author of Failing My Way to Success: Lessons from 42 Years of Winning and Losing in Business . EPISODE PAGE WITH VIDEO, TRANSCRIPT, AND MORE Phillip reflects on more than four decades of entrepreneurial ups and downs across printing, real estat...

In this very special solo episode of My Favorite Mistake, Mark Graban breaks down the gloriously ridiculous — and surprisingly instructive — mistakes made by the characters in his all-time favorite film, This Is Spinal Tap. With the long-awaited sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, now in theaters, Mark explores why Spinal Tap endures not just as a cult comedy classic, but as a brilliant sati...

My guest for Episode #324 of the  My Favorite Mistake podcast is Trevor Schade . Episode page with video, transcript, and more Trevor began his career as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with a strong background in coding and process improvement. He consulted on business efficiency and outsourcing before shifting into real estate in 2008. After earning his license, he quickly built a top-performing tea...