Learning From Other People’s Mistakes

It seems like everyone has stories about learning from the inspiring leaders who shaped their careers, but the reality is, we often encounter leaders or supervisors who fall short. When you find yourself in those tough situations, working with a challenging boss or in a difficult team environment, it can be hard to see the silver lining. Yet, these experiences can become just as valuable—if not more so—than working with amazing leaders. Bad experiences offer us powerful lessons on what not to do as leaders and give us insight into the kind of leader we want to become.

Maybe you’ve worked for someone who rarely said thank you, leaving you feeling undervalued and unseen. Or perhaps you had a supervisor who blurred professional boundaries, creating a confusing and uncomfortable work environment for everyone involved. While these individuals may not have been great mentors, they taught you about the importance of appreciation, clear communication, and maintaining professional boundaries. Instead of letting these experiences bring us down, we can choose to use them as a guide, shaping ourselves into leaders who foster respect, positivity, and growth for our teams.

Share Your Story

We invite you to share your own stories with us. Think back on experiences you’ve had with supervisors or leaders who showed you exactly what not to do. Submit your stories through the form below, and we’ll select submissions to feature on our social media channels (anonymously, of course!). We’ll share the lesson we can learn from each experience, turning these tough moments into opportunities to become better, more compassionate leaders.