Permission to Screw Up – Kristen Hadeed

I love books that are honest about what it really takes to run a business and lead people, and this is one of them.

Kristen Hadeed built a successful business almost by accident, and along the way she made plenty of mistakes. Rather than pretending she had everything figured out, she shares what went wrong, what she learnt and how those experiences eventually made her a much better leader.

This isn’t one of those business books that makes success look easy. It’s funny, very human and full of lessons about leadership, building a team, letting go of control, taking responsibility and giving people room to grow.

What I particularly like is the reminder that you don’t need to have everything figured out before you start. Sometimes the best way to learn is simply to have a go, get things wrong, learn from them and keep moving forward.

Why I recommend it:

• 📚 Easy and entertaining to read
• 💡 Full of useful leadership lessons
• 🌱 A great reminder that mistakes are part of learning
• 👥 Brilliant if you manage or lead other people
• 🚀 Particularly good for entrepreneurs and business owners

My verdict: If you’ve ever made a mistake in business and wondered whether everyone else knows something you don’t, read this. None of us have it completely figured out – and that’s rather the point.