From Mistakes to Meaning: Owning Your Past So It Doesn't Own You | Joshua L. Steiner + Michael Lynton Moderated by: Ken Auletta

In From Mistakes to Meaning: Owning Your Past So It Doesn’t Own You, Joshua L. Steiner and Michael Lynton reflect on the formative setbacks and moments of reckoning that reshaped their lives and careers, arguing that growth begins with accountability. Steiner and Lynton, whose leadership across media, business, and public life has required navigating risk, failure, and reinvention, examine how accomplished leaders confront misjudgment and uncertainty. Moderated by journalist Ken Auletta, Steiner and Lynton explore the discipline of self-examination, the challenge of rebuilding trust, and the courage required to define oneself beyond past mistakes. Together, they consider how responsibility, resilience, and candor can transform personal history into a foundation for renewed purpose and leadership. The New Orleans Book Festival brings the world’s leading authors to Tulane University for a multi-day celebration of their works. The Festival features both fiction and non-fiction and convenes readings, panel discussions, symposia and keynote speeches. It provides an opportunity for outlets, authors and readers to interact with each other in one of the most vibrant and culturally diverse cities in the world.