Trust, Leadership, and Learning From Mistakes: William Harvey on Building a Safe and Excellent Workplace

My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

My guest for Episode #326 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Dr. William Harvey, a manufacturing executive and university professor whose career is defined by developing people, strengthening systems, and driving organizational excellence. A proud U.S. Marine, William carries forward a deep tradition of service and leadership. He also serves as the chair for the 2026 AME International Conference in Milwaukee, hosted by the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME).

EPISODE PAGE WITH VIDEO AND MORE

William shares a powerful early-career story about a mistake that taught him lasting lessons about trust, humility, and psychological safety. When he accidentally derailed a customer order by taking home the wrong document, he feared the worst. Instead, his manager’s calm and compassionate response—and a customer’s extraordinary effort to make things right—changed how William thought about leadership forever.

Over time, William applied those lessons to how he leads teams and builds culture. He believes that leaders go first—by admitting mistakes, showing vulnerability, and creating space for others to experiment, fail, and learn. Through daily coaching cycles and methods like Toyota Kata, he helps people develop confidence in problem solving and take ownership of improvement. His goal: to build a workplace culture rooted in trust, respect, and continuous learning, where every person feels safe enough to speak up and strong enough to lead.

Key Lessons & Themes:

• Why trusting your team is critical to avoiding unnecessary errors
• How supportive leadership responses turn mistakes into growth moments
• The connection between psychological safety, continuous improvement, and Toyota Kata
• How to “go first” as a leader—admitting your own mistakes to build trust
• The link between physical safety and psychological safety in world-class organizations
• What leaders can learn from Paul O’Neill and his “zero incidents” mindset at Alcoa