I was recently reminded of this great quote by the jazz legend Miles Davis:

“If you hit a wrong note, it’s the next note that you play that determines if it’s good or bad.”

Nobody is perfect – we all hit the wrong note sometimes. And it’s not the end of the world. 

Mistakes are the greatest teachers and provide tremendous opportunity when you choose that “next note” carefully.

When I make a mistake, my mantra is “own it, learn from it, and do better next time.”

Here’s what that looks like in a real example from my life.

My Mistake

I was tired, stressed, and trying to get through a lot of emails. I made the mistake of abruptly replying to one of them, ironically pointing out some errors in a document. And to make it even worse, I hit “reply to all” instead of just replying to the individual.

I didn’t even realize how abrupt my tone was until someone copied on the email pointed it out to me the next day. 

I re-read my email and immediately felt my face flush with embarrassment, disappointed in how poorly I handled the situation.

Own It

Later that day, I was in a meeting with everyone that had received my snarky email. I started the meeting by publicly apologizing for my behavior, thanking the person who held me accountable, and committing to making improvements. 

Learn From It

I learned that my emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness is low when I’m tired and stressed. And I realized that when I’m working quickly and multitasking, I tend to make a lot more mistakes. 

Do Better Next Time

I began incorporating mindfulness exercises into my day to manage my energy and stress levels. I also started paying attention to the things that triggered me and recognizing that I needed to give myself time to pause and shift my behaviors. And if I felt those negative emotions when replying to an email, I would save it as a draft and re-read it before sending it later.

The Results

It’s not easy to own your mistakes. However, it is the critical “next note.” As difficult as it was to be vulnerable in front of my team, it became a turning point for us. It deepened trust, empowered everyone to own their mistakes, and humanized my team’s perception of me as their leader. 

The next time you hit the wrong note, what “next note” will you choose to play? 

Wishing you the best!

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