Why failing loudly builds trust

I don't trust people who've never failed publicly. They're either lying or hiding. And neither builds brands. Here's what I've learned after 18 years: The founders who win biggest? They've lost biggest too. → They've had launches that flopped → They've posted content that tanked → They've made promises they couldn't keep But they're still here. Still building. Still visible. Because they learned something most people don't: Failure in public is a feature, not a bug. It's how you build real trust. Think about it: Who do you actually believe? → The person with the perfect track record? → Or the one who shows you their scars? I'll take scars every time. Because scars mean you've been in the arena. Not watching from the stands. The market doesn't trust perfection. It trusts persistence. It trusts people who: → Own their mistakes → Share what they learned → Keep showing up anyway That's real authority. Not the polished version. The proven version. I've had: → Products that died → Partnerships that exploded → Strategies that completely missed And I talk about them. Not because I enjoy reliving failure. But because it's part of the story. The real story. The one people actually connect with. Your audience doesn't need another highlight reel. They need someone human. Someone who's been where they are. Someone who made it through. Perfect people can't help imperfect humans. But real people can. So stop hiding your failures. Start using them. They're not your weakness. They're your proof. Proof that you've actually done the thing. Not just talked about it. The market rewards reality. Even when reality includes failure. Especially then.

Our team starts off every week with a Monday team meeting where the first thing we do is talk about our failures from the previous week... What I discovered a long time ago is that if you want to be a successful and authentic leader, you can't hide behind the varnish of "perfection." The most successful leaders -- those who inspire their people to greatness -- have all figured out that showing up honestly and authentically is a superpower that helps them build deep trust across their teams. All too often I encounter senior-level people who think that they can't be themselves in front of their people. That they can't ever show weakness and have to hide their failures. Here's the thing...you're not hiding it. Your people see you for who you really are, whether you realize it or not. When you try to hide your flaws or failures, they see that too. And that's where trust is lost. Here are three simple things you can start doing right now to show up more authentically and inspire greater trust with your team: 1. Be the first to admit when you fail. Whether in the big things or the small things, own your crap, and tell your people when you mess up. 2. When one of your people comes to you (probably in fear) to admit where they've failed, respond in humility and with compassion. I've also found that taking that opportunity to tell them about one of your previous failures helps to make them feel better in the moment and reminds them that everyone fails. 3. Admit when you don't know something, and encourage others to help you learn and grow by sharing their wisdom with you.

Last month, my Gen Z staff texted me at 10:47pm. "I need to talk to you about something." My heart sank. In my experience, late-night conversations that start like this end with resignations. "I've been here 1 year," he said. "And I've noticed something about you." Here it comes, I thought. The criticism. The resignation. The— "You're the only boss I've had who admits when you're wrong." Wait, what? He continued: "Remember when you insisted on that new intake system? It failed spectacularly. But instead of blaming us, you called a meeting and said 'I messed up. Let's fix this together.'" That conversation changed how I think about leadership. Here's what I've learned running a 7-figure law firm with 17+ team members: → Vulnerability creates loyalty → Admitting mistakes builds trust → "I don't know" is a complete sentence → Your team already knows you're not perfect The old Jimmy would've pretended to have all the answers. Failed the bar 3 times? Hide it. B- grades? Never mention them. Spending $five figures/month on ads that aren't working? Keep quiet. But here's the thing: My team doesn't follow me because I'm perfect. They follow me because I'm real. 2 months ago, I made a $20K mistake. Old me would've buried it. Instead, I called an all-hands meeting: "I screwed up. Here's what happened. Here's what we're doing to fix it. Here's how we'll prevent it next time." You know what happened? Three attorneys shared their own recent mistakes. We created a new review system together. Team morale went UP, not down. The most dangerous leaders are the ones who can't say these five words: "I don't know. Help me." Your team isn't looking for perfection. They're looking for humanity. P.S. That Gen Z staff who texted me late at night? He asked for more responsibility, not to quit. He's now our intake manager. P.P.S. To every leader pretending to have it all figured out: Your team knows. They're just waiting for you to admit it.

As leaders, when our employees make mistakes we have the opportunity to build trust. We can tell our teams that we support them and value their contributions, but it's when they stumble that we get to prove it. Everytime we choose to show up with empathy and understanding during a mess up, they learn they can trust our leadership. This then shifts their focus from fear of punishment to problem solving, reflection, and learning. My team is human and therefore will make mistakes. I need them to trust that I'll have their back, we'll sort the problem out together, and we'll figure out how to not make the same mistake twice. This is how we build strong teams who can take risks, learn, and grow their skills.

The Leadership Lesson I Learned From a Messed-Up Decision I made a mistake that shook my confidence. I oversaw a decision, under-communicated, and trusted too much. When it all went wrong, my first instinct was to bury it. I thought vulnerability meant weakness. But then I realized hiding it was a bigger mistake. I had to admit: "I messed this up. Here's what I learned, and here's what I'll do differently next time." Something shifted. Instead of losing trust, I gained it. My team leaned in, not because I was perfect, but because I was real. Here’s what that failure taught me about leadership: 1. Admitting faults takes courage, but it builds credibility. 2. Owning failures invites trust and shows you're accountable. 3. Sharing lessons accelerates growth for everyone involved. 4. Staying human makes you approachable and relatable. 5. True courage isn't avoiding mistakes; it's staying present and learning from them.     That failure became a turning point, turning guilt into strength. It taught me that leadership isn’t about polish; it’s about presence. P.S. 💬 What's one failure that made you a stronger leader? Share your story below. Growth starts with curiosity💡

I used to have a hard time admitting mistakes. I pretended it was "all part of the plan." My team knew I was full of it. But they played along because that's what you do when the boss is trying to save face. That night, I realized something that changed how I lead forever: My team didn't need a perfect CEO. They needed a real one. So I became radically transparent. "I completely botched that pitch." "That strategy I was so confident about? Total failure." "I'm stuck and have no idea how to solve this yet." Wasn't sure how my team would react. And something magical happened. They started taking risks. The same people who used to play it safe were suddenly pitching wild ideas. Testing unconventional strategies. Asking questions they'd been sitting on for months. "What if we tried this completely different approach?" "I want to experiment with something that might fail." "Can I share what went wrong so we can all learn?" When I stopped pretending to be perfect, I accidentally gave them permission to innovate. Because here's what I discovered: Teams don't take risks when failure means shame. They take risks when failure means data. Now we have one rule: Take action, don't strive for perfection, collect the data, share what you learned. The team's no longer asking for permission, now they're taking massive initiative. Not hiding failures, but publicly sharing what worked and what didn't. We're all benefiting and creating at speeds never seen before. They are bringing ideas I never would've thought of. Solving it together in 2 weeks instead of suffering alone for 2 months. That's the paradox of leadership: The more perfect you try to appear, the less your team trusts you. The more human you show up, the more superhuman your results. My coaching clients don't pay me because I'm flawless (though, don't tell this to my wife 😉 ). They pay me because I've failed enough times to know exactly what doesn't work – and I'm not afraid to share every painful detail. Your scars teach more than your successes. Your failures create more breakthroughs than your wins. Your vulnerability builds more innovation than your invincibility. Stop trying to be the leader who never falls. Be the leader who shows others that falling is just data collection. Because when you build a culture where failure is feedback, not failure, that's when real innovation begins. What would your team create if they weren't afraid to fail? ============ Ready to build a team that helps you grow? Join other founders who building world-class teams in our free Predictable Profits Community. Comment "TEAM" and I'll send you the invite.

In an industry full of businesses claiming to be "the best," there's remarkable power in saying: "We're still learning. We make mistakes. We're working to get better." Counterintuitively, acknowledging your limitations builds more trust than proclaiming your perfection. When everyone else is shouting about being #1, the quiet voice admitting to being human stands out. People don't actually expect perfection. They expect honesty. The strongest reputations aren't built on projected infallibility, but on demonstrated humility, transparency, and a commitment to improvement. Next time you're tempted to claim superiority, try sharing what you're working to improve instead. You might be surprised by how much more it resonates.

A CEO walked into a meeting after weeks of missed goals and tension in the room. Everyone was performing the part: Nodding, smiling, but checked out underneath. She didn’t open with numbers or any sort of pressure about the state of the project. Instead she said: “Something feels off, and I don’t want to pretend it’s not. I’m not here to fix anything today. I’m here to listen, because I know I might be part of the problem.” And for the first time in weeks, her team exhaled. Then someone finally said, “We didn’t know if it was safe to say we were overwhelmed.” That conversation didn’t just change the project. It changed the culture. Because when a leader tells the truth, not just about the work, but about themselves, it gives everyone else permission to be human again. We think leadership is about having the answers. It’s not. It’s about creating a space safe enough that the real answers can emerge. If your people can’t tell the truth, they’ll tell you what you want to hear. And you’ll lead a team that looks fine on paper, but quietly disengaged in reality. You don’t build trust by being invulnerable. You build it by being honest first.  That’s how you create the safety people need to stop performing and start participating.

🎯 The Quiet Power of Leaders Who Say "I Was Wrong" 🎯 The most powerful moment in leadership isn't when everything goes right. It's when things go wrong. It's not about grand gestures or rehearsed humility. It's about three simple words: "I made mistakes." ---Why does this matter--- 1.) It Creates Fearless Teams 🛡️ ↳A humble leader 🗣: "I overlooked key risks in our strategy, and that's on me. Let's talk openly about what each of you saw that I missed." ↳ Result: Research shows psychological safety is the #1 predictor of high-performing teams. 2.) It Turns Failures into Fuel 🚀 ↳A humble leader 🗣: "Our product launch fell short because of my decisions. Here's what I learned, and here's how we'll grow from this." ↳ Truth: Teams that openly discuss mistakes are significantly more likely to innovate and improve. 3.) It Builds Real Trust 🤝 ↳A humble leader 🗣: "I rushed this decision despite your concerns. You were right. Let's reset and plan this together." ↳ Impact: Teams with leaders who focus on openness and growth show up to 15% higher engagement. (Gallup) Here's what's fascinating: When leaders admit mistakes first, it creates a ripple effect. People stop hiding errors. Innovation flourishes. Trust multiplies. Powerful leadership moments often come from being honest about your imperfections. The next time you mess up, remember: Your team isn't looking for perfection. They're looking for authenticity.