Learn the Lesson. Turn the Page.
Have you ever watched a capable team member lose confidence after a mistake—and struggle to get back to performing at their best?
The mistake is over, but they are still carrying it. They second-guess decisions and hesitate where they once acted confidently, worried about getting it wrong again.
Football can be an unforgiving sport. Every play carries pressure, and one mistake can change a game or sometimes a season.
As a Bills fan, I have experienced plenty of those moments over the years.
Last Sunday, Josh Allen threw an interception that ended the Bills’ opportunity for a comeback win. Regardless of what he had accomplished earlier, that final play became a focus of attention.
Allen is one of the premier quarterbacks in the league. He has made bad plays before, and he will make them again. To perform at his best, he has to learn from those mistakes without allowing them to undermine his confidence in the next game.
In my estimation, cornerback is one of the hardest positions to play. You are out on an island against an elite athlete who knows where he is going. You have to read, react, and keep up.
When a receiver gets open and catches the ball, your mistake is there for everyone to see.
A young Bills cornerback also had a rough game last weekend and faced criticism afterward. At that position, you have to learn and turn the page. If your mind stays on the touchdown you just allowed, you may not be ready to defend the next pass.
The same challenge exists in business.
No one wants to make a mistake that hurts the team or the organization. Yet mistakes happen, and the pressure we carry afterward can affect what we do next.
A story told about IBM chief Thomas Watson Jr. describes an executive whose decision reportedly cost the company $10 million.
Called into Watson’s office, the executive expected to be fired. Instead, Watson reportedly said, “Fire you? I spent $10 million educating you. I just want to be sure you learned the right lessons.”
The loss mattered. So did what the executive would learn and contribute afterward.
That is an important distinction for leaders.
We need to address mistakes honestly, understand their consequences, and take responsibility for correcting them. We also need to help people regain the confidence to perform.
If someone has acknowledged the mistake and learned from it, repeatedly bringing it up adds pressure without adding value.
They need to know what must change—and that we still believe in their ability to contribute.
Dean Smith’s instruction to “forget it” does not mean forgetting the lesson. It means letting go of the incident so it no longer occupies the attention needed for the next play.
That applies to us as well. We can forgive ourselves while remaining accountable. Carrying regret indefinitely does not undo the mistake. It can make the next decision harder.
Keep the lesson. Release the burden. Help your people get ready for the next play.
Where are you still holding on to a past mistake?
How is it affecting your confidence, decisions, or performance today?
Who on your team needs your help to learn from a mistake and move forward?
Choose one mistake you or a team member is still carrying. Identify the lesson and the action needed to prevent a repeat. Then make room for a fresh start.
The next play needs your full attention.
