Before you receive your best life lesson, you need to make a mistake—a grand one.

Often, leaders prioritize theory over practice due to time constraints, inconvenience, and lack of proper coaching and accountability. I can’t necessarily blame present-day leaders—we were raised with the traditional “memorize-just-to-pass” mindset, and since then, it’s something we’ve grown accustomed to.

However, it’s time to change how we teach and train our teams. To start small, leaders can implement role-play with various scenarios. A common one is in conflict resolution, where employees can directly experiment with different approaches and receive feedback without real-world consequences.

As Thomas J. Watson once said, “The way to succeed is to double your failure rate.” Practical experience is crucial for growth and development. We can’t wait for a life lesson to change our lives; we must chase it, especially if it means making mistakes.

In the corporate world, mistakes are often stigmatized, leading to a culture of fear and avoidance. This mentality stifles innovation and growth. Leaders need to foster an environment where failure is seen as a stepping stone rather than a setback. By encouraging calculated risks and learning from failures, organizations can unlock their full potential.

Consider this: what if your greatest innovation is just one failure away? Embracing a fail-fast, learn-fast mentality can revolutionize the way we approach challenges and opportunities. It's time for leaders to model this behavior, showing that vulnerability and perseverance are strengths, not weaknesses.

What practical training methods have you implemented in your leadership journey? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below!