How Mistakes Help You Learn

Have you ever worked with a leader who didn’t allow mistakes? Perhaps he would say things like, “Failure is not an option!” There are three problems with this mindset. The problem with this mindset is that mistakes can often be great teachers. 

When we look at the leadership of Jesus, we see that He not only allowed His disciples to make mistakes but that He also used those mistakes to help them learn and grow. An example of this is in how He led Peter.

Peter made a lot of mistakes:

• Peter failed to walk on water (Matthew 14:22-36).
• He rebuked Jesus (Matthew 16:21-23).
• And he denied Him three times (Matthew 26:73-75; Mark 14:69-70; Luke 22:55-62; John 18:13-27). 

Despite Peter’s continuous mistakes, Jesus continued to call him to be His disciple: 

• When Peter failed to walk on water, Jesus taught him not to doubt (Matthew 14:22-36).
• When Peter rebuked Jesus, Jesus taught him to see things from God’s perspective, rather than man’s (Matthew 16:21-23).
• And when Peter denied Jesus three times, Jesus reminded him he was still called to be His disciple (John 21:1-25).  

As a Christian leader, you might have someone like Peter on your team. Someone who makes a lot of mistakes and has a lot to learn. How can you help them learn and grow from their mistakes? 

A Leader Worth Imitating,  Principles 13: Mistakes