3 Steps to Help You Grow From Your Mistakes

By: Kathy Kent Toney, CEO & Founder of Kent Business Solutions

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As business leaders, we sometimes make big mistakes that can be hard to shake from our minds and consciousness. What steps can we take to turn things around?

All-Pro Defense Tackle, Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs, is a great role model for handling missteps and charting a path to success. He used the mistakes he made in a crucial game last year that ended their 2021-2022 Super Bowl run, miscues that he used as fuel to achieve tremendous success this season.

In Chris Jones’ own words, “Last year stuck with me. I had two critical plays that I should have made that I missed (in the AFC Championship Game). We know how the game went.”

Here are three things Chris did that we can use to turn our mistakes around for good.

1. Work With a Mentor

After last year’s tough loss, the Chiefs brought in a new defensive line coach. Chris said about his coach: “Bringing him in as a mentor for me and a defensive line coach has completely [transformed] my game, whether it’s the run game or the pass rush.” As a result, he’s won two awards this season for being the best defensive tackle in the NFL.

Steps You Can Take: If you need a mentor or coach, find one! Your connections can be an excellent source for referrals to outstanding individuals. And if you are already working with one, fully engaging in the relationship to help ensure accountability is a perfect thing to do.

2. Use Mistakes as a Motivator

Chris didn’t let his past mistakes plague him; instead, he used them as motivation to improve. During the offseason, he worked diligently with his mentor to enhance one of his weaknesses (tackling runners). His hard work paid off—he achieved a career-high number of tackles against "the run."

Steps You Can Take: Objectively evaluate what you could have done better and develop a plan to improve. And if you're still in a place of regret, decide to put the past behind you. If doing so is still a challenge, consider the possibility that you may need to forgive yourself for your mistakes, an often overlooked action we can take that can yield tremendous results.

3. Finish Well

In Chris' own words, "It's not about how you start. It's about how you finish." The Chiefs' defense had its best season performance in their last game. They struggled much of the year due to an overhauled, inexperienced defense. But after playing 17 games together, they’re clicking, just in time to bring their best game forward as they head into the playoffs!

Steps You Can Take: Keep building upon your plan to overcome and succeed. Work with your team to build consensus and cooperation so you're all on the same page for goal achievement.

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Speaking about goal achievement, are you properly positioned for success in digitizing your organization?

If you have questions in the area, check out Michael Cantu's and my best-selling book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation. It provides a step-by-step roadmap for preparing for and implementing digital transformation initiatives in your business so you can help ensure success even before you start.

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