“From Mistakes to Meaning” Book Launch with Michael Lynton and Josh Steiner

In conversation with , leading executives Michael Lynton and Joshua Steiner will explore the hidden dimensions of mistakes and the transformative power of confronting them to live life more fully.
Lynton, former CEO of Sony Entertainment, and Steiner, former chief of staff at the Treasury Department and member of the SNF Agora Institute Board of Overseers, will discuss how confronting mistakes can break patterns and help us live more fully. Opening remarks will be provided by Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels.
Few people start enormous companies or discover lifesaving medical cures, but we all make mistakes. Yet there are lots of books about successful entrepreneurs, massive failures, and compelling scientific discoveries, and next to none that help us understand how our personalities drive mistakes and how mistakes shape our lives.
Lynton and Steiner will launch their new book, From Mistakes to Meaning: Owning Your Past So It Doesn’t Own You, on March 11 at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. The book guides readers through the process of uncovering both the hidden roots of our mistakes and their consequences with the ultimate goal of living more fully.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 11, doors open at 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: Hopkins Bloomberg Center, The Link - Room 426

SCHEDULE:
5:00 p.m. — Check in
5:30 p.m. — Program
6:30 p.m. — Reception

CHECK IN:
• A photo ID is required for entry.
• Each attendee must have a ticket registered in their own name. If you reserved a ticket for someone else, please ensure their name and information are correctly entered.
• A printed ticket is not needed.
• Event seating is first-come, first-served. Guests are encouraged to arrive early; overflow seating may be available.

ABOUT THE BOOK

While very few people start enormous companies or discover lifesaving medical cures, we all make mistakes. Yet there are lots of books about successful entrepreneurs, massive failures, and compelling scientific discoveries, and no book that helps us understand how our personalities drive mistakes and how mistakes shape our lives.

Lynton and J Steiner made mistakes that shaped their careers and lives, but it wasn’t until the isolation of the pandemic that they began to open up to each other about them. When Lynton was the CEO of Sony Entertainment, he greenlit the film that led to the infamous North Korean hack; meanwhile, a private diary Steiner had kept as Chief of Staff at the Treasury Department became a focal point in the Clinton Whitewater scandal. As their conversation deepened, they searched for a book to guide their exploration,they came up empty. So they set out to write one themselves.

Through a revealing examination of their own stories and candid interviews with influential figures such as Karol Mason, Joanna Coles, and Malcolm Gladwell along with people from all walks of life, the authors unveil the hidden dimensions of mistakes and the universal struggle to move beyond them. Working with Alison Papadakis, Director of Clinical Psychological Studies at Johns Hopkins, they ground their observations in relevant research and unpack the difference between failures and mistakes, the stages of mistakes, and how it’s possible to break the patterns that lead to misunderstandings and shame.

ABOUT THE HOPKINS BLOOMBERG CENTER

The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center pairs the power of nearly 150 years of research leadership with a deep commitment to democracy and government partnership. Academic experts, global leaders, policymakers, and the next generation of innovators transform knowledge into impact, and where cutting-edge research informs evidence-based policies to benefit global democracy and the future of our world.

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ABOUT THE SNF AGORA INSTITUTE

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University is an academic and public forum dedicated to strengthening global democracy through research, teaching, and practice. Founded in 2017 with a visionary $150 million gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the institute draws inspiration from the ancient Athenian agora, a space for open debate and deliberation, to bridge divides, expand civic engagement, and foster informed, inclusive dialogue as the cornerstone of robust democracy.

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