The Mistakes That Make Us The Mistakes That Make Us
The Mistakes That Make Us · Mark Graban
The response to one mistake shapes whether you hear about the next one.
The Mistakes That Make Us shows leaders how to respond so people keep speaking up, learning, and preventing repeats.
The stories come from leaders at Toyota and KaiNexus, former U.S. Representative Will Hurd, Shark Tank’s Kevin Harrington, whiskey distillers, and guests on Mark’s My Favorite Mistake podcast.
Preview includes the introduction, part of Chapter One, and the table of contents. Email registration required.
A question worth asking
Think of the last mistake someone brought to you. Would they bring you the next one?
Speak up sooner
Understand what helps people share mistakes and concerns while there is still an opportunity to act.
Respond constructively
Replace reflexive blame with curiosity about what happened and what can be improved.
Learn together
Use small experiments and shared reflection to turn an experience into a better way of working.
The book shows how leaders change that answer, with stories from healthcare, manufacturing, software, and even whiskey distilling. Explore what is in the book.
Perspectives from people who study and practice improvement
“Another useful book from Mark Graban! Creating the conditions to surface and learn from mistakes not only drives continuous improvement and innovation but also good jobs.”
— Zeynep Ton, MIT Sloan professor and author
“At last! A book about errors, flubs, and screwups that pushes beyond platitudes and actually shows how to enlist our mistakes as engines of learning, growth, and progress.”
— Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Read the full endorsements · Explore reader reviews
Mark’s third Shingo-recognized book – About the recognition
Winner · Business: Problem Solving
Practicing what the book preaches
Yes, this book has mistakes.
A book about learning from mistakes should be open about its own. Sharp-eyed readers caught typos, a punctuation slip, and one factual error about Amy Edmondson’s research. The corrections are listed page by page.
See the mistakes readers have caught – Read Mark’s post about them
Choose how you want to read.
The same ideas, in the format that fits your day. Current prices and delivery details are available from each retailer.
Paperback and hardcover for reading, annotating, and sharing.
Audiobook
More than five hours, narrated by Mark Graban.
Prefer another language? Explore translated editions.
Meet the author
Mark Graban
Author, speaker, and consultant who connects psychological safety with practical improvement. His work draws on decades in manufacturing and healthcare, and conversations with people willing to share what they learned from a mistake.
Next from Mark – February 2027
The Silence Tax
The Mistakes That Make Us is about why people hide problems and how to learn from them. The Silence Tax is about what leaders can do, starting this week, when people stay quiet out of fear or because speaking up never seems to change anything.
A free sample (the Introduction and Chapter 1) is available on the book page.
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See whether the stories and approach fit the challenges you are working on.