Mark Graban’s most recent book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, has been honored with the prestigious Shingo Publication Award, recognizing its impact on continuous improvement and organizational excellence. If you’re familiar with Mark’s work, you know he’s a passionate advocate for continuous improvement, psychological safety, and the power of learning from failure.
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Mark to discuss the inspiration behind the book, what this achievement means to him, and the impact he hopes it will have. Check out our conversation below:
Mark: The inspiration for The Mistakes That Make Us really started with my podcast, “My Favorite Mistake.” The idea for the podcast itself came from an unexpected opportunity. A public relations person reached out, asking if I wanted to interview Kevin Harrington, one of the original sharks from Shark Tank, for my existing “Lean Blog Interviews” podcast. But his story didn’t quite fit that podcast’s theme, which had always focused on Lean practices and continuous improvement.
Rather than say no, I asked myself, “How can I say yes?” That’s when the idea hit me: What if I created a new podcast where guests shared stories about their biggest learning experiences—their favorite mistakes? It felt like a concept worth exploring, so I gave it a shot. What started as a single interview with Kevin turned into over 200 conversations, each one revealing powerful lessons about vulnerability, learning, and growth.
The funny thing is, I didn’t start the podcast with the intention of writing a book. But after about a hundred episodes, a guest asked me, “Did you launch this podcast because you’re writing a book about mistakes?” At the time, my answer was a sincere no. I was simply curious and loved learning from my guests. But that question stuck with me. I started to see patterns emerging from their stories—patterns about culture, leadership, and how we grow through failure. I realized that these interviews were more than just conversations—they were field research for something bigger. That’s when I knew I had to write this book.
In many ways, The Mistakes That Make Us feels like a natural extension of my journey in continuous improvement. In my previous book, Practicing Lean, I and other contributors shared our early career mistakes, hoping to help others learn from our experiences. With this book, I wanted to go further—to show how leaders can cultivate a culture where mistakes aren’t feared but embraced as opportunities to learn, improve, and ultimately succeed.
Mark: One lesson is that I had to trust the process of iteration. Initially, I relied too heavily on verbatim excerpts from my “My Favorite Mistake” podcast transcripts rather than fully developing and using my own voice, stories, and reflections. My book coach and editor encouraged me to add more of my own perspective, which led to a stronger, more authentic book.
Another key lesson was realizing that no book—or any creative endeavor—is ever truly "finished." You simply have to decide when to stop iterating and release it into the world. As I learned from entrepreneurs and other podcast guests, perfection is unattainable, and it’s better to publish an imperfect book than to refine a draft endlessly. That mindset aligns with the book’s core message: mistakes and imperfections are part of the learning process.
I was also struck by how powerful it is when leaders model candor, if not vulnerability, by admitting their own mistakes first. This behavior sets the tone for the entire organization, signaling that mistakes are opportunities for learning, not punishable offenses.
Mark: Receiving the Shingo Publication Award for The Mistakes That Make Us is an incredible honor and deeply meaningful to me. The Shingo Institute, with its focus on operational excellence and enterprise alignment, teaches principles that are at the heart of this book. Receiving this recognition is a powerful affirmation that learning from mistakes isn’t just a personal growth tool—it’s a fundamental driver of organizational excellence.
The Shingo Model™ is built on principles such as Respect Every Individual, Lead with Humility, Embrace Scientific Thinking, and Create Constancy of Purpose—all of which resonate deeply with the themes of my book. For example:
This award is particularly meaningful because it’s my third Shingo Publication Award, following Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen (co-authored with Joe Swartz). It reaffirms my commitment to advancing principles that help organizations not only reduce errors but also continuously improve through learning, reflection, and respect. I’m grateful to the Shingo Institute and everyone who has supported this journey—from my podcast guests to readers—who inspire me to keep spreading this message of learning, growth, and improvement.
Mark: One key takeaway I hope every reader remembers is that mistakes are inevitable, but their true value lies in how we respond to them. Mistakes are not failures—they are learning moments that can drive continuous improvement. If we approach mistakes with kindness, curiosity, and a commitment to learning, we create a culture where growth thrives. This book is a reminder that our biggest leaps often come from the stumbles we’re willing to reflect on, not hide from.
Mark: My advice to leaders is simple: be the first to admit your own mistakes. By modeling humility and vulnerability, you create a safe environment where your team feels encouraged to share, learn, and innovate without fear of punishment. This transparency fosters trust, and trust fuels creativity, experimentation, and, ultimately, success. A culture of learning starts with you—when leaders own their mistakes, they open the door for everyone else to do the same.