[airbreather]

The most dangerous person in the world is someone who never makes a mistake - because you know they are somewhere, you just have no idea where.

Making mistakes isn't the problem. hiding them, or not being open to the possibility you are making them is far, far worse.

Someone who makes a mistake, catches it and fixes it - expert. Should be kept at all costs unless making the same mistakes over and over.

Someone who makes a mistake and then hides it or spends more time arguing why they were right in some non-existent edge case world - dangerous, get rid of immediately.

[mickotron]

Agreed. In my previous job I was one of the most trustworthy support engineers not just because I was knowledgeable and competent, but because I was totally honest about my mistakes, and owned them. And yes, mistakes being plural, you will make them, just accept it. Doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful, just know you're not perfect.

Integrity is important, and trust in some people had been eroded forever after some high profile outages were caused and made worse when they lied and covered up their mistakes. In one sad case, the covering up of a mistake had a human cost, as it affected the ambulance emergency service dispatch system. It was compounded by not being reported or fixed until more senior staff arrived in the morning.

Moral of the story: your ego is not the most important thing. Think of the consequences of your actions and inactions. Do the right thing, and be transparent about it. People will trust and respect you, and if your employer can't handle a couple of honest mistakes, you can find a better employer.