Stop Saying ‘Mistakes Were Made’—Say This Instead

LeadershipCareersStop Saying ‘Mistakes Were Made’—Say This InsteadByTerina Allen,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Covering careers and strategic leadership for executives and managers.Follow AuthorApr 27, 2026, 07:27pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Stop Saying ‘Mistakes Were Made’—Say This InsteadgettyYou’ve likely heard it. I know I’ve heard it. And—maybe—just maybe you’ve regrettably used this phrase from time to time when you didn’t know what to say in response to a mistake that either you or someone on your team made.You knew it was weak. You knew when you heard or said the words—mistakes were made—that the person saying them got smaller and smaller with every syllable. Yeah, you knew it was bad, but you didn’t quite know of a better (more effective) way to communicate with your stakeholders or your team members about the mistakes.Below, I give you a much better option to use for when you need to approach a mistakes-were-made situation in the future.You Shrink as a Leader by Saying Mistakes Were Made When you are the leader—particularly a leader with formal authority—you have to own the success and failures of your team. You get some credit for lots of stuff you didn’t and wouldn’t do, and you get some blame for lots of stuff you didn’t and wouldn’t do either. While this might not necessarily be fair, it is appropriate.In a prior article, I identify a list of nine phrases that immediately expose weak leaders for who they are. The mistakes-were-made statement comes in at the top spot on that list. No one wants to come off as a weak leader. Surely you don’t so you’ve got to ask yourself…MORE FOR YOUDo I have what it takes to lead? On the good days and the bad?Do I have what it takes to lead when I need to own my mistakes?What about mistakes made by those I lead?Surely, when you interviewed for your job, you wanted people to t...