It may feel like the year 2017 just started, but we’re already looking headlong into 2018.
When was the last time you made a mistake as a leader?
For me, it wasn’t that long ago. I gave direction to my team, only to realize I missed a few steps in the direction because I didn’t read everything I was supposed to. We ended up spending several hours making up for the “additional steps” I missed. Not the best way to spend a workday!
I had two choices. I could admit to my team that it was actually me—I caused the additional work they had to do—or I could make something up, blame an “unknown” as the culprit. It’s easy to do, and there seems to be plenty of other people to blame these days.
But I didn’t. It was difficult and uncomfortable, but I admitted the mistake. Perception is reality, so making sure my team perceived me as they should—open, honest, and human—was more important than my comfort level.
It’s never too late. It’s the end of the year…you’ve probably made mistakes as a leader, but the biggest one is never admitting to them. Begin the next year correctly by thinking through your mistakes and showing your team members the REAL leader you are—and continue trying to be!
