Mistakes Are Allowed in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

In The World According to Mister Rogers written by children’s TV host Fred Rogers, (Hyperion, 2003), this story is shared:

A young apprentice applied to a master carpenter for a job. The older man asked him, “Do you know your trade?” “Yes, sir!” the young man replied proudly.

“Have you ever made a mistake?” the older man inquired. “No, sir!” the young man answered, feeling certain he would get the job.

“Then there’s no way I’m going to hire you,” said the master carpenter, “because when you make one, you won’t know how to fix it.”

Everyone makes mistakes. The question for us as leaders is, knowing that will happen, do we create a space for people to readily admit the mistake? Do we embrace the teaching moment the mistake offers? Do we acknowledge that we are a team when errors occur as well as through successes?

What if the mistake is ours? Are we accountable for it? Do we back pedal and blame, or do we readily admit the problem and move forward toward resolution? Do we stand up and say, “I’m responsible.”? What example are we setting for those who follow us?

The leadership lesson in Mister Rogers’ little story reminds us that if we help someone through a mistake, the next time they will know how to fix it themselves. Mistakes will happen. How we react to them can teach a most valuable lesson.

What is a valuable lesson you have learned as the result of making a mistake?

L2L Contributing Author

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