The best thing you can do is learn from those mistakes so that

Hear the wisdom of Lisa Su, leader of vision and builder of strength, who declared: “The best thing you can do is learn from those mistakes so that you continue to get better. That’s the management style or leadership style I believe in, which is push people to their limit such that they can become better than they thought they could be. That certainly has helped me.” These words burn like a torch in the hands of those who would guide others. For she speaks not of comfort, not of shelter, but of the fire by which the soul is forged.

The ancients taught that the warrior who never meets resistance is no warrior at all, but a child playing with wooden swords. Likewise, the leader who shields her people from every trial denies them the chance to grow. True leadership is not in sparing others the sting of mistakes, but in teaching them how to rise from them, stronger than before. The river shapes the stone not by one gentle touch, but by relentless pressure; so too does the leader shape her people by urging them beyond what they believe possible.

Consider the tale of Thomas Edison, who failed hundreds upon hundreds of times before the light bulb finally burned steady in his hand. Each mistake was not a defeat, but a step upon the path. If his mentors and colleagues had told him to stop, to rest, to stay within the limits of comfort, the world would still be darkened by nights without electric light. It was through unrelenting persistence, through the willingness to learn from error, that greatness emerged. Edison’s story embodies the truth Lisa Su proclaims: to be pushed, to be tested, to be broken and rebuilt, is the path to becoming more than you ever imagined.

But beware, O listener: to push without compassion is cruelty, and to demand without teaching is folly. The art of true management and leadership lies in balance. A leader must know the strength of her people as the smith knows the temper of the steel. Too little fire, and the blade remains brittle. Too much, and it shatters. But with the right heat, the steel grows unbreakable. So must a leader set the trials of her people—not to destroy, but to awaken the hidden strength that slumbers within.

The meaning of Su’s words is both personal and universal. She speaks of her own journey—how her life was not built upon ease, but upon challenge, upon the moments when she was stretched beyond comfort, when errors could not be hidden, and when growth was demanded. By embracing these trials, by learning instead of retreating, she rose to heights she once thought unreachable. This is no idle philosophy, but a living testimony: greatness is born not in the absence of failure, but in the mastery of it.

The lesson, then, is this: do not shrink from mistakes, but embrace them as teachers. Do not fear being pushed to your limit, for the limit is not a wall but a gate, beyond which lies a stronger version of yourself. When you lead others, dare to push them further than they believe they can go—but do so with fairness, with wisdom, and with faith in their potential. Leadership is not merely about achieving goals—it is about awakening greatness in others.

Therefore, let your practice be thus: when you fail, pause not in despair but in reflection. Ask, “What have I gained from this stumble that I could not have gained in victory?” When you lead, push with intention. Set challenges that stretch but do not destroy, tests that reveal strength rather than weakness. And when you stand at the edge of your own endurance, remember Lisa Su’s wisdom: each step beyond the limit remakes you, and in that remaking, you find not only success but transformation.