Shloka Ramshankar

There are six key lessons that a reader can takeaway from The Adventures of Johnny
Bunko by Daniel Pink, however two in particular resonated with me. These lessons were “make
excellent mistakes” and “leave an imprint”. Upon reading Pink’s description of these lessons, I
put them into perspective of my personal goals. I also viewed these lessons from the standpoint
of an individual in a leadership position, as becoming a leader in my future profession is a long
term desire of mine.
Daniel Pink discusses the concept of “making excellent mistakes”. At first, I was
perplexed at the notion of mistakes being “excellent” in any way. However, Pink describes such
mistakes as those that are committed when we allow ourselves to overcome our fears and
become vulnerable. These mistakes are calculated and must occur in order for us to grow as
individuals. They differ from “stupid mistakes” in that the negative consequences are practically
non existent, and the only resulting effect is the opportunity for increased learning and growth.
As I considered this lesson, I viewed it from the perspective of my personal goals in college. If I
want to succeed in a particularly difficult class, I might end up making some mistakes, but
learning from them will allow me to truly grow. If I want to succeed in mock trial, an activity I
have become heavily involved in, I will have to put myself in uncertain situations, whether that
be at practice or competitions.
Pink also mentions the idea of “leaving an imprint”. He essentially states that you should
have a larger purpose as you pursue things in life, and that purpose should motivate you to
establish a legacy that positively influences others. This lesson particularly resonated with me. I
sometimes feel conflicted as a business major, because I think it is very easy to become caught
up in an elitist corporate mentality and forget the voice of society. Additionally, big business has
and continue to have an infamous track record of exploiting workers, hurting the environment,
and focusing only on profits. However, I think if I possess a larger purpose in my life as I
progress through my career, I will not necessarily have to succumb to the pressures of corporate
America. I think if I have a mentality of “leaving an imprint”, I can more comfortably “climb the
ladder’ of a business so that I can give back to my community later on. Overall, I believe it is
important to have intentions of positively influencing and giving back to one’s surrounding
environment, in order to remain morally sound and a genuine human being.
I also viewed Pink’s lessons from the perspective of a leader. My long term goals are to
work for a year in a business and then go to law school. Whether I am working in a corporation
or as an attorney, I hope to become a leader in my field. As a leader, I will still make mistakes,
and it will be imperative for me to learn from them in order to succeed in my work. Further, I
will also need to be a “leaving an imprint” mindset in order to truly contribute effectively to
society with my job. An article I found titled "4 Impressive Ways Great Leaders Handle Their
Mistakes" illustrated some of the lessons I garnered from Daniel Pink from a leadership
perspective. A new angle that the article presented was teaching others from one’s mistakes. I
think it is easy to overlook this particular insight. If my long term goal is to leave an imprint on
society, it will be imperative for me to share the knowledge I have learned from making
mistakes.
Overall, Daniel Pink’s The Adventures of Johnny Bunko is beneficial for evaluating my
personal and professional goals in a more optimistic mindset. In the journey of life, it is easy to
become disillusioned or disheartened with setbacks and things that occur out of our control.
However, learning and growing from our mistakes, as well as seeking to make a positive imprint
on society can strengthen our mentality. As I continue through college and life in general, I will
strive these principles as much as I can.
Shloka Ramshankar

Article Cited on Following Page

Lolly Daskalpresident, xx-xx-xxxx, "4 Impressive Ways Great Leaders Handle Their Mistakes,"
Inc, https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/4-impressive-ways-great-leaders-handle-their-
mistakes.html

Name of article: "4 Impressive Ways Great Leaders Handle Their Mistakes"
Date: April 23, 2018
Link: https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/4-impressive-ways-great-leaders-handle-their-
mistakes.html