The book

Management, the (positive) value of a mistake

The preface to the book 'The Power of Mistakes. Transforming every misstep into an opportunity for growth', by Alberto Varriale, published by Il Sole 24 Ore. The book stems from the experience gained in the "Sbagliando si impara" (Making mistakes you learn) column and brings together reflections, strategies and insights that have emerged in the daily work of accompanying companies and managers in their growth

5 September 2025

5' min read

What you have in your hands and what you are about to read is a book that stems from a small, precious and perhaps somewhat hidden gem (but which is emerging in all its value with time) born within the section dedicated to Management of the 'Sole 24 Ore' website. I am referring to the section entitled Sbagliando si impara, where the experts referring to the management consulting and training company Newton have been distilling for over six years, on a weekly basis, knowledge, strategies, insights, and experiences accumulated over a very long period of time in the accompaniment of companies and management training. Many of those voices have been brought together, harmonised and edited by Alberto Varriale, Partner at Newton, who has extensive experience as a lecturer in management topics.

It was he who took upon himself the burden (and the honour) of re-elaborating, re-actualising and presenting to the readers of this book the material partly already published on the web, with the ambitious aim of making it a unified narrative without suppressing the different points of observation and skills, following the red thread of error, understood as a formative moment and not as failure and defeat, since, the editor of these pages argues, 'every error contains within itself a seed of improvement, a lesson that not only invites us to reflect on our behaviour, but also guides us towards more conscious practices and decisions'. Therefore, he adds, 'the manager of the future must be able to embrace error as an opportunity for growth, both for himself and his team. This approach helps to build a corporate culture that does not fear failure, but sees it as an essential step on the path to success, improvement and innovation'.

It is a perspective that seems to me as valuable as it is not taken for granted, indeed, it even goes against the mainstream culture that theoretically does not admit and does not seem to tolerate human error in the corporate context, except then, in the concrete of offices and companies, having to touch with one's own hands every day the fallibility of those processes that are constituted and managed inescapably (at least until today!) by the human element.

Mistake, an opportunity for growth

Starting from this factual datum, then, and far from magnifying the error as such, one can look at a 'hiccup', a negative situation, a misstep and discover that it can be a fundamental building block in a path of growth and learning new skills that may prove particularly valuable. A mistake, in those who really want to put themselves on the line with pride and dignity, in those who have the character and personality to face their task head-on and do their best - in business as in life - is not a simple deadlock, but can be a reset, an opportunity to see the problem from a new perspective, a stimulus to get back on the road with new vigour. Provided we accept it, understand it in its possibility and exploit it in its 'pedagogical' value.

I would like to emphasise a concept that Varriale highlights in the introduction that you will read after these lines: 'The ability to accept mistakes, analyse them and transform them into lessons distinguishes authentic and future-oriented leadership. Those who face error with awareness do not see it as a defeat, but as a precious opportunity to explore unexplored paths, discover creative solutions and deepen their knowledge of themselves and their context'.

A manager who never takes responsibility for an error will never become a true leader: a manager who faces the error and learns from it can really grow, the obstacles he or she has to face (and also the possible failures) can become opportunities to improve the management of people and company dynamics. This, then, is one of the main (soft) skills that managers must possess in today's working environment: the ability to adapt, to be able to react to different scenarios without letting themselves be displaced and put out of action by unforeseen situations. Try & learn, Varriale reminds us: learn from your experiences, especially - if possible - from negative ones.

Try & learn

Of course, it is more than human to be 'burnt' by an error, even a serious one: our mind will automatically be led to be afraid of repeating it and this mechanism will probably trigger in most people the propensity to avoid similar situations, risking blocking processes that should not be stopped. A corporate culture that does not condemn error but admits it and considers it as a possible and, I would say, inevitable part of a path of growth can lead a team, a company, to unlock its potential and flourish in a positive light, to transform itself into a place where talent can blossom without being suffocated in the cradle because their approach is not the orthodox one, the one of 'it has always been done this way', the one that prevents and censors risk for fear of making a flop.

If you think about it, it is the same logic that drives a company, a business, even a football team not to trust its young people, because they may be outside the company's logic, outside the box and at risk of making mistakes through inexperience. Yet almost all of the great discoveries, inventions, and technological revolutions of the last few decades (and perhaps even earlier) have stemmed from some rupture of established paradigms sometimes considered impossible or excessively risky, and often the work of young minds. Those who set them in motion and challenged custom did not let themselves be held back by negative automatic thoughts, but took courage in both hands and, without looking back too much, took the great leap into the future.

The fundamental skills for managers

This book is actually divided into fourteen chapters (plus introduction and conclusions) dedicated to exploring and deepening various skills that are fundamental for a comprehensive, thoughtful, up-to-date and, as we said, not at all obvious management approach.

Yes, because clearly the technical - or if you like numerical - skills in a manager cannot and should not be discussed, but the set of soft skills lined up by the author of these pages, taken as a whole, really represent a package of real, important skills that can make a difference. Listening, empathy, clear and effective communication, the ability to create a team and work as a team, to manage change and make strategic choices, creativity and overview, the ability to handle unforeseen situations and possible conflicts. It seems to me that the picture is clear enough to understand the value and necessity of these skills.

This book is a very concrete text, I would even say an operational one, almost a manual to stimulate learning and enhance the key skills of new managers (or those who want to get back into the game in their profession). The method used by Varriale in drafting the text also includes questions to check one's own path in the company, looking for possible errors and corrective measures to be put in place to avoid them, in order to learn more and more consciously from experience. "Being a manager today means driving through uncertainty, facing obstacles and, above all, constantly learning," is one of the key messages of the author of these pages.

The great Muhammad Ali, boxing legend of the last century, also knew it well: 'Inside a ring or outside, there is nothing wrong with falling. Wrong is to stay on the ground'.

The Power of Errors is available for €16.90 in bookshops and €12.90 at newsstands with Il Sole 24 Ore from Saturday 6 September.

The text is also available on Shopping 24. .