Mistakes. They have a way of humbling us in an instant. One moment, you’re moving through your day, doing your best, and then next.. your heart sinks. You realize you missed something. Dropped the ball. Got it wrong.
That sinking feeling? It’s familiar. It’s the weight of self-doubt, the creeping voice of insecurity saying, “You fucked up.” And let’s be real, it doesn’t whisper. It SHOUTS.
I made two mistakes at work recently- same mistake, two different times. The last one causing a mess. The kind of mess that makes your stomach drop and your cheeks burn. I took accountability (owned it and apologized), but still, that inner critic went into overdrive. I started questioning everything: Am I cut out for this? What if my team loses confidence in me? Am I even good at what I do? What if everyone thinks I’m careless? It’s crazy how quickly making mistakes can spiral into questioning your entire competence.
But here’s where the story shifted: Angie. Angie is my boss, and more than that, she’s the kind of leader you hope you get to work under at least once in your life.
Instead of criticism, shame, frustration, or coldness, I was met with something unexpected: Grace. She gave me space to take accountability without making me feel like I needed to shrink. She reminded me that I do good work. That this doesn’t negate my effort. That mistakes happen, and what matters is how we handle them. Her belief in me didn’t waver, even when my belief in myself did.
That kind of leadership? That’s rare. It doesn’t just correct a mistake; it builds trust and it builds people. It reminds you that you’re not just a ‘worker’, but a human trying your best. And when someone sees that in you, it sticks.
Because lets be real, after a mistake, the hardest part isn’t always fixing the issue. It’s facing yourself. It’s fighting off the shame spiral. It’s showing up the next day hoping your credibility is still intact. Angie made that easier. She didn’t just handle the situation, she lifted the weight of it off my shoulders by choosing understanding over judgment.
So this post is a reminder: we’re all going to fuck up, we’re all going to miss things, we’re all going to misread things, and have missteps. But that doesn’t mean we’re failing- it means we’re still learning. Still human. Still in it.
And if you’re lucky enough to have an ‘Angie’ in your life, someone who leads with heart and teaches through grace instead of fear, take a second to be grateful. Because that kind of leadership? Powerful.
Mai Household Mayhem 