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I'm 10,000 feet above the ground, somewhere between Panama and México, and I just finished my airplane meal (plastic and not very tasty).

Suddenly, I realized I was smiling and nodding my head, as if something amazing had just happened. You know, like that exact feeling you get when your favorite band plays your favorite song live in concert. The one you thought they were never going to play.

Although I didn't attend a concert last night, I did attend a Fuckup Night. But it wasn't just any Fuckup Night, this was a private Private Event Fuckup Nights with Sanofi with the leadership for Latin America, and I was chosen to moderate.

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I got to the site early, to make sure everything was in order. And, to be honest, I started to get nervous. I've been lucky enough to moderate quite a few events, but this one was on another level.

The venue was incredible, a historic three-story theater called Teatro Amador in Panama's old city. There was also a lot of production: lights, sound and even confetti!

And while I've done larger private events, like our event with Johnnie Walker with about 400 attendees, this one had a special challenge: it needed to be in English.

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About the event

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The event began at 7:30 pm There was no time to get nervous, only time to get excited for a (hopefully) great night. What I didn't know was that "a great night" would be an understatement.

The lights went out, the music began to play, smoke began to fill the place, and an explosion of confetti signaled the start of the event. I went on stage. When I'm on stage, I always like to take a moment to read the vibe of the crowd, and seeing that there was already high energy in the theater calmed my nerves. This was our night. So I started talking about Fuckup Nights, the Failure Institute, our private events, and what we thought about failure. The audience went crazy. Everyone was clapping, laughing, and incredibly engaged and happy.

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About the speakers

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I introduced the first speaker: Alan, head of CHC at Sanofi. Alan had just arrived from a 13-hour flight from Europe, went straight to the stage and gave a great example of how a leader should lead: by example. With the best attitude, he was humble enough to take off his mask and share with his entire team that he had made mistakes. And quite serious ones.

I stood there looking at everyone's faces. They were skeptical. "Wait, why is my boss sharing this with us?"

I then introduced Carol Ann, who shared how her ego was the main culprit in an epic mistake when launching a new project in Japan. Even without my mind-reading powers, I could tell the surprised faces in the audience were saying, "Wow, I never imagined my boss would be vulnerable enough to share this embarrassing mistake!"

Finally, Paul closed the evening with no less than a photo of him dressed as a woman, and another as a baby. Of course, naked - is there a better way to show vulnerability?

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"I'm going to introduce you to my boss."

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The event came to an end. The audience was really amused by what had just happened. After leaving the stage, I saw the magic of Fuckup Nights.

People started sharing stories with each other, having a more personal approach with their leaders and having those deep connections that we certainly forget in our daily routine.

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It was meaningful and authentic, and everyone was on the same level: "we all make mistakes".

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"Thank you so much for this. I've never had an experience like this before with my team," one nice man told me, before asking how he can bring this to his team in México.

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"I'm going to introduce you to my boss, he definitely needs to hear some failure stories," said another lady, after taking a selfie with everyone.

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Then another woman simply kissed my forehead as a sign of gratitude (I guess so, I hope).

So now, after realizing why I was smiling "for no reason", I really realized how powerful it is to share your mistakes at work. And not just at a Fuckup Nights event, but anywhere just by opening up.

For the little seed it plants in everyone's head. For that small change of mentality that triggers tons of impactful actions. For that vulnerability that brings people together and brings them closer, as a shared humanity.

After reviewing this article, I realized it lacked a punchy final sentence. Or a conclusion. And I don't think it's necessary. Just wait for the next the next Fuckup Night.

As part of the Corporate Programs, we have a variety of online courses, workshops and private events, as well as a survey that will diagnose how your company is managing failure. Learn more here about how to bring this event to your company.