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Encourage Risk and Learning

by Jon Close

Jul 20, 2026

Growth requires stepping beyond familiar territory.

Yet many people hesitate to take initiatives because they fear making mistakes.

Empowering leaders create environments where learning is valued more than perfection.

John C. Maxwell reminds us that evaluated mistakes often become our greatest teachers in leadership development.

The goal is not avoiding every mistake, but learning from every experience.

This Week's Practice

Encourage thoughtful risk.

This week:

Ask someone to try a new, thoughtful approach. (not a reckless one)
Support their effort, even if the result is imperfect
Focus on learning rather than criticism and debrief what they discovered.

The learning fuels leadership growth.

DISC Insight - Supporting Risk

D - Dominance

Encourage them to have patience with the learning process.

I - Inspiring

Encourage them to engage in thoughtful planning before acting.

S - Support

Encourage them to step beyond their comfort zones.

C- Cautious

Encourage them to take action even when everything is not perfectly prepared.

Bottom Line:

Leaders who want real growth don't just demand flawless performance; they encourage thoughtful risk and treat mistakes as raw material for learning. When people know that learning is valued more than perfection, they're far more likely to step out of their comfort zones and grow as leaders.

Leadership growth rarely happens inside comfort zones.

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