17 Successful People Share The Best Career Mistakes They've Ever Made

WikipediaMany of the most successful people didn't have a straightforward or easy path to the top. They made big mistakes, missed big opportunities, and suffered harsh setbacks.

What distinguishes them is the way they responded.

LinkedIn recently asked more than 60 of its influencers what their "best career mistake" was — something that seemed like a disaster at the time that ended up being incredibly beneficial.

For example, Asana co-founder Justin Rosenstein failed to get an early version of Google Drive off the ground because he didn't push hard enough for the project. "Larry [Page] was so successful and smart," he said. "I just didn’t have the confidence back then to do what I wish I’d done in hindsight." But that mistake has made him a better leader today.

We've pulled out some of the most compelling and interesting stories that show no matter how bad things seem at the time, it's usually not the end of the world.