Permission to Screw Up: How I Learned to Lead by Doing (Almost) Everything Wrong

by Kristen Hadeed, Simon Sinek (Foreword)

"The inspiring, unlikely, laugh-out-loud story of how one woman learned to lead-and how she ultimately succeeded, not despite her many mistakes, but because of them. This is the story of how Kristen Hadeed built Student Maid, a cleaning company where people are happy, loyal, productive, and empowered, even while they're mopping floors and scrubbing toilets. It's the story of how she went from being an almost comically inept leader to a sought-after CEO who teaches others how to lead. Hadeed unintentionally launched Student Maid while attending college ten years ago. Since then, Student Maid has employed hundreds of students and is widely recognized for its industry-leading retention rate and its culture of trust and accountability. But Kristen and her company were no overnight sensa-tion. In fact, they were almost nothing at all. Along the way, Kristen got it wrong almost as often as she got it right. Giving out hugs instead of feed-back, fixing errors instead of enforcing accountability, and hosting parties instead of cultivating meaning-ful relationships were just a few of her many mistakes. But Kristen's willingness to admit and learn from those mistakes helped her give her people the chance to learn from their own screwups too. Permission to Screw Updismisses the idea that leaders and orga-nizations should try to be perfect. It encourages people of all ages to go for it and learn to lead by acting, rather than waiting or thinking. Through a brutally honest and often hilarious account of her own strug-gles, Kristen encourages us to embrace our failures and proves that we'll be better leaders when we do"--

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Audiobook, Self Help, Management, Memoir

262 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2017

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book five stars for a number of reasons. I’ve read a few business books in my day and have often found them to have the following flaws:

1) They portray an impossibly idealized version of a business or a career.
2) They are often very self-congratulatory and some are so heavy with name-dropping you need a broom to sweep them all up.
3) They tend to be somewhat brutal and old fashioned, bringing things to the table that, even if they are still in use, need to be moving out from the current business environment.

Kristen’s story was a breath of fresh air. How many business books have entire chapters on vulnerability at work AND back it up with sound business principles? How many business books so frankly stare embarrassing mistakes right in the face? I haven’t often found myself writing notes while reading career books but this one had my pen and mind flying with ideas. I read it in one weekend and actually can’t wait until Monday so I can put some of these ideas into practice.

This is not just a book for entrepreneurs. I do not own my own business - far from it. I am a low-ranking employee at a huge firm that employs almost 250,000 people around the world. I am a molecule in the drop in the bucket, but Kristen personalizes and normalizes these ideas in such a way that even I can apply them to my own career.

This book is also infinitely readable. There’s nothing superbly literary and you don’t need an MBA to understand the jargon. It’s funny and sweet and painful and sad and deeply, deeply personal.

And it’s not just about the value of learning from your mistakes. It’s about helping to build a culture of togetherness and speaks to my highest purpose at work: that we are all just people trying to do a thing together. We all have flaws and worries and personal lives and desires and screw ups and fears and weird histories.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for ways to connect better with their work and their colleagues, not just those trying to build a business. The concepts detailed in this book are incredibly applicable across a broad scope of situations.

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I want to say I enjoyed Permission To Screw Up by Kristen Hadeed and had my share of laughs and chuckles while reading it and shaking my head. BUT, I would not classify this as a guide to success. It reads more like a biography than a How To Succeed story. I feel Kristen Hadeed had a great idea and stumbled her way into success, but many others would fail if they followed her path.

It all started with a pair of $100 jeans, that her parents wouldn’t buy for her, and an ad on Craig’s list to clean houses. Just goes to show, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

I tossed most of the notes I took as I sat here trying to write this review. Like any nonfiction book, you take the information that works for you and you leave the stuff that doesn’t.

Millennials – 1982 to 2004. I like that Kristen was upfront about her mistakes and her feelings about millennials. It’s just like any generalization, it doesn’t apply to everyone.

When she blew off checking into her trademark before using it, I thought that about summed up my opinion of some of the pitfalls of millennials. They can be lazy. They are handicapped, only have one hand available, because they have their phone in the other one. They think Google has all the answers and their parents will take care of everything for them. But, again, this is only a generalization and doesn’t apply to all millennials.

I like that she wasn’t too proud to ask for help, and find the place to get the answers she needed, though it’s not like she didn’t try to have someone do it for her…at times.

I like that she talks about the Participation Generation, where you get rewards just for showing up. Helicopter parents – parents who hover, overprotective, over involved, and over indulging their children. How can a person like that accept criticism. Kristen learned that there is “a time for pep talks and a time for reality checks.”

I like that at the end of each chapter is a quick summary that hits the highlights.

I do look at this as her story, not so much a business book. She does share some helpful hints and reminds us that even the most experienced leader can learn something new and improve their leadership style. She does share her thoughts about the value of employees being happy, even while mopping floors or cleaning toilets.

Would I recommend Permission To Screw Up? Yes, especially for the younger generation and the beginning entrepreneur, to show that mistakes are not failures, just learning experiences. Also, for anyone who likes to read biographies, Kristen Hadeed does have a fun and interesting story to tell.

I borrowed a copy of Permission To Screw Up by Kristen Hadeed from a friend.

To see more visit fundinmental

[Maria Burnham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a pretty optimistic person, and I despise perfection. In the past few years, I've become particularly feisty about people whose life is all fluffy bunnies and rainbows. I assure you. Life is not that way. So this book landed in my lap because I was drawn to the title--I wanted to read something that showed how life really works--a bunch of mistakes that can be learned from.

Kristen Hadeed's book did just that. She talked about financial mistakes, leadership mistakes, and management issues. The book felt real and honest. From what I gather, I think Kristen Hadeed and I approach conflict and work issues and pressures very similarly, so it was great to learn some of her insight and to hear that I'm not alone in the "let's give that person another chance" department.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to reflect on what it means to grow professionally.

[Christian Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this book three stars, because I feel the title implies a different type of book than what it actually is. I expected a book that provides experience and tools for those of us that struggle with perfectionist tendencies and indecisiveness. It ended up being the story of Kristen's rise to success, including her mistakes and personal growth along the way.

[Quentin Attebery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Permission to Screw Up is a love letter to people on a personal journey to get comfortable with failure. Hadeed, in a few hundred pages, explains to the reader that leaders aren't perfect. Leaders separate themselves from managers through seeking constant personal growth. The day that you consider yourself perfect is the day you lose your title of "leader."

[Yuliia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy read, a page turner, an interesting tale.
My absolute favorite part about it is that it shows what really happens when you decide to have your own business. What commitments you make, what hours you work, what you are dealing with.
It’s written in an approachable, human manner and it is funny! I really liked it!!!
It is not a manual for success though. But there are plenty of those out there.
This book is really one of a kind.

[Elisa Heikura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiroivinta, hyödyllisintä, kiinnostavinta ja hauskinta kuultavaa pitkään aikaan. Audible-versio kirjailijan itsensä lukemana viihdytti viisi tuntia julkisissa kulkuneuvoissa kevyesti. Suosittelen erityisesti kaikille niille, joilla on milleniaaleja johdettavanaan. Tai ihmisiä.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of useful things in this for leaders of small start-ups

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy this was my first nonfiction book of the year! Kristen does a great job of painting her struggles and triumphs in a real way that I could relate to. I appreciated her vulnerability and that was the key takeaway from this book, for me. I hope all leaders I know read this book.

[A Poste · Rating 3 out of 5]

- 'Vulnerable' in a corporate culture means that someone feels safe enough to raise their hand and say, "I don't feel qualified to do the job I've been asked to do. I need help."
- leadership credo: trust people with enormous responsibilities, allow room for mess-ups, then give them the chance to fix their mistakes so they can learn from them
- there's a time for pep talks and a time for reality checks. A good leader knows when and how to give both. Giving people room to make mistakes doesn't mean excusing bad behaviour, ignoring poor decisions, or avoiding the feedback they need to hear to be better.
- FBI (Feeling-Behaviour-Impact) approach to giving feedback / if you want to give truly effective feedback, you need to communicate three things: the way you feel, the specific behaviour that made you feel that way, and the impact that behaviour has - whether its on you, the company, your relationship with that person, or something else.
- 10 Values: 1/ Take your moral fiber - we do what we say we're going to do, and we tell the truth; 2/ Roll with the punches - when things don't go according to plan, we adapt; 3/ Jump through flaming hoops - we don't just do what's expected, we go above and beyond, not only for our clients but especially for each other; 4/ Don't leave us hangin' - we understand how our actions can affect others - we put the interest of the team before individual needs; 5/ Be classy, not sassy - we show respect to one another, speak with discretion, and maintain a positive and uplifting attitude; 6/ Own it - we take responsibility for our work and our decisions, and we care as though this were our own business; 7/ Unleash the creative dragon within - we think outside the box to problem-solve and develop new ideas; 8/ Pay it forward - we give back to our community, not because we have to, but because we genuinely care; 9/ Speak now or forever hold your peace - we maintain open communication, which means we voice all our concerns, questions, comments, criticism and praise; 10/ Raise the roof - we love and believe in the company, so we put forth our best effort to help it grow and thrive.
- managers give orders, not ownership, leaders on the other hand ask themselves, 'how do I get this person to do what I want them to do and make sure they feel good about doing it?'

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire the author vulnerably sharing her missteps in the process of building a business and I also appreciate the changes she makes in her journey. It shows an ability to grow and adapt and that is always a strength.

I believe this book is best served for millennials or younger who are considering starting their first business. It gives an honest look at the challenges especially from the beginning of a business.

The permission to screw up is a needed human component to work so I very much appreciate that perspective.

I’m giving it 3 stars because while the reminder of ‘it’s okay to screw up’ was helpful, I expected more of an advanced business book and this wasn’t that.

This would be a great read and discussion for college aged business majors.

[Azita Rassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. And extremely well written. The audiobook has a beautiful performance by the author too. She is certainly a woman of many talents.

[Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I don’t know where the future will take me, but one thing I do know (for sure) is this: Wherever I go, I’ll be screwing up left and right, and every step of the way, there will be people screwing up right along with me. As we go, we will continue to learn, grow, and build better companies together.”
― Kristen Hadeed, Permission to Screw Up: How I Learned to Lead by Doing (Almost) Everything Wrong

Recently I entered a new phase in my life, graduating and entering the workforce and with that came wired anxiety of trying to be perfect, but if you are perfect hat means that you are not learning and after randomly choosing an audiobook to listen to -shout out to Scribd- I came across the gem that is permission to screw up by Kristen Hadid.

Kristen writes about how she started her company and how she learned a lot by messing up and trying to fix thing rather than magically fixing things like some entrepreneurs, and the book was really funny and this helped by the narration that Ms Hadeed narrates herself. I learned a lot about problem-solving, workplace culture and many other things in a very practical way by listening firsthand about how Kristen solved it.

Many business students actively try to look for books that teach leadership and this is one I would highly recommend, very funny, informative and sometimes very heartwarming. 10/10

[Sirena Luz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. I would definitely recommend it.
I think it's important to realize we are not perfect. And it's impossible to do everything correctly: whether it's work, relationship, leadership, and life. It's equally important to be graceful and offer grace when mistakes are made.
This book offers a different view point - where you are likely to make mistakes and fail and have room to fix those mistakes with support and no judgment.

[Kristen Wiles Folk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would definitely recommend "Permission to Screw Up" to any younger person. I feel like these are lessons you learn as you mature in business. Its a fun read & I really enjoyed it. (And she is a really good speaker- most of her stories in her speech are in this book!) Read if you are young & into good business advice!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as an audio book. This was OK, interesting in parts but not overly life changing in any way. It kinda felt like the next step in her entrepreneurial plans was to publish a book and make it interesting and 'real' by flipping the success story of her speaking career and talking about how making mistakes is a point of success. M'eh.

[Amy Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. Mostly a memoir of her rise to success and recounting some of the leadership lessons she learned and used along the way.
I appreciate the idea of a successful business owner / leader demonstrating some humility and acknowledging that it wasn’t a “success only” journey. That said - there is nothing profound or new here.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely enthralling tale of how the author, Kristen, started her own company, Student Maid, and grew into something so much more. She takes us through all the ups and downs, the highs and lows of what it takes to keep trying over and over again until you get things right. The lessons she learned and the wisdom she imparts with the reader are invaluable to anyone in any position looking to nurture the culture of their company. Even if you're not an entrepreneur, the personal tales of love, loss, and growth that Kristen shares in this book are themselves enough reason to pick this book up. Far and away one of the best books on management and culture I've ever read.

[Liesel Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn’t the best professional development book I’ve ever read. I almost want to give it 3 1/2 stars however, the fact that the book is about her admitting that she is not perfect and sharing the ways that she failed in the lessons that she learned was refreshing.

[Kirsten Varney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and the practical examples! I feel I can apply all of it to my work.

[Zeina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leadership Keys 💜

[Shubheksha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a few leadership lessons strewn here and there but reads more like a biography.

[~Courtney Rose~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like Kristen understood how to write a self-help book without it feeling like it drags too much. Still kinda cheesy, but better than most.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very timely, relatable, and well-written. I would definitely recommend this to those in leadership/management positions.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the forward by Simon Sinek; many leadership books can be dry, but Kristen is funny and relatable while dismissing the idea that leaders should try to be perfect.

[Crystal Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!! I LOVE HER and this book!! Such a great book for women entrepreneurs to LOL with the reality of becoming a leader that makes an impact. This really does give you permission to screw up - a powerful (fun) story of Kristen's success to inspire you to create your own.

[Irene Minkina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a breath of fresh air, and one of the most honest and insightful leadership/professional development books I've read. There are no cliches or fluff here. Each piece of advice comes from Hadeed's direct experiences running her student cleaning business. A pleasure to read.

[Feisty Harriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing I liked the most about this was Hadeed's candid way of saying "look, I made a lot of mistakes, and I learned from them. It's okay to make mistakes but you've gotta be humble enough to take advice from others who might know more than you, and even from people you assume DON'T know more than you.

I kind of wish more managers would read this book (mine, in particular), but I feel like I got some good insights on communication and a feedback loop to implement into my managing style for the folx who report to me.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. The tone, humor, stories and ideas are all on point.

[Agnes Roantree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest, insightful and doesn't really repeat itself. I'm glad I spent my time listening to this one.