Redefining leadership as training rather than punishment. Refusing to absorb others' mistakes emotionally.

Someone on my team made a significant mistake yesterday. The kind that used to keep me up at night, replaying what I could have done differently to prevent it.

But here's what I've learned: their mistake is not my burden to carry emotionally.

My job is to train, not to punish. My job is to create systems that reduce errors, not to absorb the weight of every human failing.

When someone drops the ball, I have two choices. I can pick it up and add it to the pile of things I'm already carrying. Or I can help them learn to hold it better next time.

The old me would have taken it personally. Wondered what I did wrong. Lost sleep. Snapped at my family.

The new me asks: What can I control here?

I can control how I respond. I can control whether this becomes a teaching moment or a shame spiral. I can control my own rest, my own boundaries, my own peace.

Not my control? Not my problem to carry.

That doesn't mean I don't care. It means I care strategically. I care about growth, not about guilt.

#MercyClimb