I Missed My Flight—And I Own It

“I missed my flight.”

No delays. No excuses. Just missed it.

Totally my fault.
And yes, I was pissed at myself.

But here’s the truth most people avoid:
Leaders screw up too.

We drop balls.
We miss details.
We cost ourselves time, money, and momentum.

It happens. The difference is how we respond.

Leadership Starts with Ownership

It would have been easy to blame the airline or traffic or some last-minute curveball. But that’s not leadership.

Leadership starts with responsibility.

No spin. No excuses. Just honesty.

I missed the flight.
It was preventable.
And it was on me.

What Happens Next Is the Real Test

Once you take ownership, the next step is figuring out what to do about it.

What needs to change?
Where did the system break down?
How do I make sure it doesn’t happen again?

Leadership isn’t about getting it right every time.
It’s about how quickly you correct course.
And how consistently you hold yourself accountable when no one else is going to do it for you.

The Real Lesson

I was embarrassed.
Disappointed.
Frustrated with myself.

It was a reminder. A good one. And it made me cringe and kick myself.

But mistakes come with the territory when you’re leading. And the value is in how you move forward, not how you cover it up.

Leaders don’t coast on charisma.
They build trust by showing up with humility.
By not hiding when it would be easier to deflect.
By owning the moments that didn’t go as planned.

This wasn’t a catastrophic failure.
But it mattered.

If You’re Leading Something That Matters

You’re going to mess up.

The question isn’t if.
It’s when.

You’ll miss something.
You’ll make a bad call.
You’ll have to send the email that starts with “I own this.”

It’s part of the job.
But it doesn’t have to be a setback.

Because growth doesn’t come from getting it all right.
It comes from owning what you didn’t and doing better next time.

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2025