Lessons Built
From Mistakes
Hosted by Skip Thompson — after 43 years of wins, losses, and hard lessons in the green industry and life. Real conversations about the mistakes, pivots, and hard lessons that shape great leaders.
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Honest, raw, and real. Skip Thompson digs into the pivotal mistakes and lessons from 43 years of wins, losses, and hard lessons in the green industry and life. New episodes every week.
Owning Your Mistakes as a Leader
Most leaders know they're supposed to “own their mistakes.” Almost none actually do it in the moment it counts. Skip Thompson breaks down the difference between saying you take responsibility and actually taking it — in front of your team, before you know how it'll be received.
Drawing on 43 years of wins, losses, and hard lessons in the green industry, Skip shares a specific moment where owning up to a bad call cost him something short-term but earned him something far more valuable long-term: a team that trusted him because he didn't hide from being wrong.
Listening Isn't Waiting for Your Turn to Talk
Most leaders think they're good listeners — but there's a real difference between hearing someone and actually listening to them. In Episode 6 of Built by Mistakes, Skip Thompson breaks down why so many leaders “hear” their team without ever really listening, what that costs a business over time, and how to build the habit of actually letting what people tell you change your next move.
This episode connects directly to the last two conversations — you can't delegate well if you're not listening to what your team is actually capable of, and you can't admit you're wrong if you never really heard the warning signs in the first place. Drawing on decades leading crews in the green industry, Skip shares what real listening looks like day to day, and why the leaders who listen best are usually the last to be surprised by a problem.
Delegation Isn't Losing Control — It's Building a Team
Why do so many leaders hold on to everything themselves, even when it's burning them out? Skip Thompson shares a property inspection that went wrong, a team that surprised him when he let go, and what real delegation looks like when it's done right.
Leadership Isn't About Being Right
Most leaders think their job is to have the answers. Skip Thompson shares why leadership is really about responsibility, humility, and getting it right — even when that means admitting you were wrong.
Discipline Beats Motivation Every Time
Motivation fades. Discipline stays. Skip Thompson breaks down why consistency, standards, and follow-through matter more than feeling inspired, and what it takes to build habits that last.
Failure Isn't the Problem — Avoiding It Is
What if the biggest mistake you're making as a leader isn't a bad decision — it's the decision you keep putting off? Skip Thompson shares the honest story of a crew leader he avoided addressing for too long, and what happened when he finally did.
I Expected Everyone to Be Me
What happens when a high-performer becomes a leader and never adjusts their expectations? The honest story of grinding alone on a Sunday — and the line that changed everything about how Skip leads.
More Leadership Lessons Ahead
A new episode drops every week. Subscribe on your favorite platform so you never miss one.
More Coming Weekly
Skip records new episodes every week — 43 years of hard-won lessons still to be shared.
"Your mistakes don't define you — they build you."
About the Host
Meet Skip Thompson
Skip Thompson is Vice President of Post-Merger Integration — after 43 years of wins, losses, and hard lessons in the green industry and life. He specializes in operational excellence, value creation, and building scalable teams.
As the host of the Built by Mistakes Podcast, Skip shares the hard-won lessons from a career built on real experience — the kind of leadership wisdom that only comes from living it, not just reading about it.
Why This Podcast Exists
The Roadmap Nobody Handed Me
I started this podcast because nobody handed me a roadmap. After 43 years of wins, losses, and hard lessons in the green industry and life, I realized the most valuable thing I could do was share what I actually learned — mistakes and all.
Real talk from someone who's been in the trenches for nearly four decades. Every episode is honest, direct, and built on lived experience.
These aren't theories from a textbook. They're lessons that came with a price — and are shared freely so you don't have to pay the same tuition.
Whether you're just starting out or leading a team of hundreds, these conversations will meet you where you are and push you forward.