One of the truths about leadership (and about being human) that we don’t like to talk about is that all leaders (and all humans) make mistakes.

This is such a universal truth that there’s no use in denying it.

I’ve made many mistakes throughout my career.

And I still make them.

What’s changed, however, is how I view the mistakes I make.

Instead of denying, justifying, or minimizing mistakes, I now view them as “portals of discovery,” as James Joyce once described mistakes.

There’s something redeeming about learning from one’s mistakes, and here are three steps that help me process my mistakes…

Accept

Accept that you have made a mistake, and accept responsibility for your mistake. The sooner you take ownership, the sooner you can move on from it.

Adjust

Identify and implement the adjustments you need to make to ensure that you will not repeat the mistake. This may involve an adjustment to your behavior, habits, or mindset. It may involve an adjustment to your processes. Or it may involve an adjustment to how you spend your time and who you spend time with.

Advance

Once you have accepted your mistake and made the appropriate adjustments that will ensure not repeating your mistake, keep moving forward. John Maxwell calls this “failing forward,” which he defines as the ability to get back up after you’ve been knocked down, learn from your mistake, and move forward in a better direction.

So, the next time you make a mistake, ask yourself: (1) Have I taken ownership of my mistake?; (2) What adjustments do I need to make as the result of what I’ve learned through this mistake?; and (3) What does it look like to move forward in a better direction?