Permission to Screw Up

Student Maid, the cleaning company Kristen Hadeed started almost by accident while in college, is the setting for her account of learning to lead. The business has since given work to hundreds of students and is known for strong retention and a culture of trust and accountability. Her mistakes included giving hugs where feedback was needed, fixing errors herself instead of holding people accountable, and throwing parties instead of building real relationships. She argues that leaders and organizations should not try to be perfect, and she shows how admitting her own mistakes gave her staff room to learn from theirs. The account, honest and often funny, urges people of every age to lead by acting rather than waiting.

Seth Godin endorsed it as a brave, generous antidote to the pretense of perfection, and Susan Cain praised it as a down-to-earth, honest account of a leader's path. The Container Store CEO Kip Tindell praised Hadeed for owning up to her mistakes.