Every Mistake Is a Million-Yen Opportunity

 When you're giving your all at work, things will go wrong from time to time.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Of course, as a CEO, I may give advice—or even raise my voice—when mistakes happen. But it's not because the mistake itself is unacceptable.
I do it because I want people to learn, notice, and grow from the experience. That’s the real point.

When something goes wrong, it's always easier to blame someone else:
"The instructions weren’t clear."
"I was just doing what I was told."
Shifting blame might feel safer or more comfortable in the moment—but it stops growth in its tracks.

If you keep blaming others, you’ll never change your own actions.
And if your actions don’t change, you’ll never grow.

That’s the real problem.

This is why I cannot accept dishonesty or passing the blame.
Because in doing so, you are throwing away your greatest opportunity to grow.

Let me ask:
If you had 10 million yen (about $70,000) in your hand, would you throw it in the trash?
Of course not.

But that’s exactly what people do when they waste the lessons hidden in their failures.

Even the smallest failure has at least that much value—10 million yen, easily.

Why?
Because those who learn from their mistakes will earn at least 50,000 to 100,000 yen more per month compared to those who don’t.
Over ten years, that difference adds up to well over 10 million yen.
In reality, the gap is likely to be much bigger—possibly in the tens of millions over a lifetime.

So why would anyone throw away that kind of opportunity by blaming someone else?

That’s why I can accept failure. I never hold it against someone in the long run.
But I cannot accept when someone refuses to learn from it.

If you’ve experienced a failure—don’t give its value away.
Take it in. Own it.
Use it to build a better version of yourself and live a richer life.

That failure might just be your most valuable asset.