embarrassment persisted, and she asked Stan to meet with her. She told him she was horrified by the error and was willing to resign.
Stan was shocked. “What do you mean, resign?” he asked.
“I screwed up that photo,” she reminded him. “I feel terrible.”
“So, you want to resign because a photo was flipped?” he asked. “A photo that has since been corrected, in a brochure that was first class?”
“Yes,” Zoe confirmed, continuing to believe that any error on her part, no matter how large or small, warranted falling on one's sword in an act of misguided nobility.
“I appreciate that you take your work so seriously,” Stan said, “but you're new at the job, and you didn't catch a mistake. Working here is a team sport. We have multiple reviews so we can prevent errors from making it to press, and I have your back.”
“But I should have caught it,” Zoe persisted.
“Do you want me to punish you?” Stan asked. “I don't think anything I could say would matter because you're doing an excellent job of beating yourself up. Did it occur to you that I've made mistakes along the way?”
“I suppose,” Zoe mumbled.
“And if I made a mistake, would you think less of me?” he asked.
“No, Zoe said. “I'd think you simply made a mistake.”
“So, why are you so special?” Stan asked. “Are you a computer? A robot? What makes you think you're any different from the rest of us?”
Zoe had no answer. She realized Stan was right, but she felt awful.
“You're still in your 20s,” said Stan, who was almost twice her age. “You'll make many mistakes in the future: with your staff, with me and other bosses, and in your personal life. You need to prepare yourself for the curves life throws your way and accept the fact that you're not perfect.”
Stan, Zoe realized, was a great mentor, and had taught her a life-changing lesson: Mistakes, in most cases, are not life-and-death affairs. Over the next few years, Zoe remained diligent and careful, but she ultimately accepted the gift Stan had given her.
Fear of Failure Is Dangerous to Your Job Health
Fear of making a mistake can cripple even the most talented leader's efforts to succeed. It stifles creativity and discourages risk-taking, while upping the stress ante and creating a tense work environment for everyone within a department or team.
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