Leadership is never a solo endeavour.
Regrettably, many leaders forget this and get too consumed by the own self-image and the many hidden agendas around their leadership, to realise this.
As a leader, your job is not to always be "right." Instead, it is about being accountable and responsible for potential pitfalls and problems. And, to proactively find opportunities and solutions.
The first pre-requisite for this to happen is that you must have an open-mind as a leader. Hire the right people with appropriate skillsets, and then be clear who your subject matter specialists are, then empower them.
In my 25-year experience of being a business owner, a management consultant, and a corporate trainer, I can tell you firsthand, and from the leaders who hire me that we have all made numerous mistakes on our leadership sojourn.
As leaders, we can see opportunities only from our missteps if we accept our mistakes and learn valuable lessons from them. I have worked out that successful leaders are firstly transparent with themselves.
The most accomplished leaders I worked with have this sterling trait; they have been able to freely admit their errors. And, they will openly speak with their respective teams and collectively find solutions. They are never too conceited to recognise their own blunders, and they show the wisdom to make their own mistakes learning lessons for everyone.
Rightfully, as leaders, we pay attention to our strengths. But we must spend time to also understand how and why we fail, and take ownership of our wrong choices. This is equally important.
So, while I am not suggesting that you should lead without care, making mistakes while leading is a vital part of the journey. If you can accept and admit your mistakes, you will start figuring out why things did not work out as expected, and how things could have been done differently.
Remember, as a leader, if you cannot make your ecosystem, which is your organisation and team, stronger, you simply will not produce results, and develop as a true trailblazer.
Here are my top reasons for why you should get comfortable with admitting your mistakes:
Respect
Let's be clear. Your team knows your flaws. The people who work with us may not, out of respect or deference tell us to our face, But they know. No one expects perfection from you as leader. However, they expect guidance, initiative, direction, protection, support, training, engagement, inspiration, and from time to time, motivation.
If they see you hold up your hand and say that you don't have an answer right away, or that you need time to think about a problem, or that you made a mistake, you will earn their respect, and create the necessary environment of transparency.
Respected leaders will take premeditated risks. And, if you have a track record of being able to admit your mistakes and serving up solutions, your team also becomes fearless. And, they will be able to deal with any ensuing consequences. They will know that you will find a way out, and they will be willing to work with you in administering those solutions.
Leaders who fear mistakes always play it safe. But playing it too safe fails to earn you their respect. Your team expects and respects real leadership from you. They want to see and experience fearlessness from you, they need you to be agile, and be willing to change the status quo. Your business only develops the competitive edge when you have the capacity to anticipate change, and the courage to act on it. This requires you to be transparent with your team and earn their respect before they feel comfortable to join in battle.
Leadership Example
As a leader, when you take ownership of your mistakes, you are leading by example. This hoists your employee engagement. It allows your team to not fear making decision. For an employee, there is nothing more empowering that being able to make decisions, and not be fearful that the boss is going to lambast them if they make a mistake.
I see authentic leaders who do not hesitate to make the difficult decisions and lead by example. They are willing to face risks and potential obstacles. And they are ready take on the responsibility, admit their mistakes if they fail, and learn from the experience. This becomes a powerful message to your team.
Builds Trust
When you can admit your mistakes, it creates an opportunity to earn respect, strengthen your team and lead by example. This ultimately builds a culture of trust. A workplace culture that promotes trust allows employees to develop an entrepreneurial mindset, which truly stimulates innovation.
These are my top three reasons for you to learn to be comfortable to admitting your mistakes as a leader.
*The writer is managing consultant and executive leadership coach at EQTD Consulting. He is also the author of the national bestseller 'So, You Want To Get Promoted