IF I HAD a dollar for every mistake I made in my sales and business career, I most likely wouldn't need to work again. Failing and making mistakes is how people grow, learn and become better at what they do. There is no way around it. You will screw up.

You will fail. And you will wish your blurry foresight was as good as your 20/20 hindsight. I know I certainly do.

On July 15, my column focused on the importance of responding to customers in a timely manner. I used a personal example of a situation where Rep. Frank Guinta's office dropped the ball with an event I was organizing for a veteran. In the column, I highlighted the blunder and shed light on a scenario I was personally disappointed with.

Prior to that column being published, there was debate as to whether I should put a situation like that in light and write about it. After some heated debate, I stuck with my belief that real life examples are a great way to make a point. Over the years, many of you loyal readers have told me that examples like this are valuable.

I also believe it is important for columnists to have the freedom to speak their minds, regardless of what others may think. After all, that's what we do, right?

After the column was published, I received a lot of feedback. Some readers applauded me for the column. Others thought my weekly column wasn't the best place to air my disappointment with that particular situation. Regardless, what's done is done.

I often tell people that it's not a matter of if you will make a mistake, but when. What's most important is how you handle yourself after the mistake happens and what actions you take to fix it. With that being said, I want to share an example of one of the best responses to a mistake I have seen in my career. And it involves the example I shared in my column on July 15.

My column was published on Sunday. That Monday morning, Guinta called me personally to apologize for the situation that occurred.

Although he was not directly responsible for the mishap, he took full responsibility for what occurred. I was impressed with how he took ownership of the situation and did not blame others. His exact words were, “My name is on that office, and I take full responsibility for what happened.”

For managers and leaders in any organization, this is one of the best lessons you will ever learn. If a mistake happens and your team is responsible, you own it. You don't point the finger. You don't say, “I wasn't directly involved.” You fall on the sword and deal with what comes next. And for that, I commend Guinta. To say I was impressed is an understatement.

What happened next is equally as impressive. Guinta immediately responded by ensuring someone from his office would attend the event where we were recognizing a co-worker who recently returned from Afghanistan.

Thanks to the efforts of Guinta and David Tille, senior project director and veterans liaison, the event we held was probably one of the most memorable I have ever witnessed. Along with executives from our company and family members of the Marine being recognized, David Tille attended the event and presented an official document of a Congressional Record that Guinta read on the House floor highlighting the details of Sgt. Christophe Rustici's service to our country.

Rep. Guinta and his staff handled the situation like true professionals. They went above and beyond and did a textbook job turning a difficult situation into a success. I sincerely thank Frank Guinta and David Tille for their outstanding response and hope everyone in the business world can learn from what they did.

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Christopher Thompson writes Closing the Deal weekly for the Sunday News.