By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

You screwed up! You made a mistake. And now you feel like crawling into the nearest hole and cementing yourself away in isolation. Your colleagues are getting on your back. Your direct reports are smirking behind your back. Your sense of conviction has been taken aback. And now your self-confidence – your reservoir of proven competencies- has sprung a leak and thrown you on your back.

Well cheer up!

Think of your mistakes as learnings that can lead to future earnings. Business is filled with stories of profitable products that were founded by mistake. Regain your composure. Renew your sense of hope. Recall the silver lining in these mistakes that turned into celebrated products.

1. Coca-Cola was created by mistake.

A fountain-clerk in Atlanta mistakenly added soda water instead of tap water to John S. Pemberton’s jar of new syrup.

2. Ivory soap was created by mistake.

A factory worker mistakenly left a soap-mixing machine on when he went for lunch. When he returned, he found so much air had been whipped into the soap that it floated.

3. Lifesavers candy was invented by mistake.

A machine used to press mints together malfunctioned and mistakenly pressed too hard on the mints, forming the tiny candy rings. Continue reading “Find the Silver Lining in Your Mistakes” →