What do you do if you discover that you've made a mistake or shown bad judgement?
- Accountability: You must hold yourself accountable, just as you would one of your employees. If you cannot, then don't expect your employees to respect or work for you.
- Responsibility: Acknowledge your mistake. Do not try and hide it or blame it on someone or something else. It shows much more character when you acknowledge your mistakes, then it does to lie about or try and cover them up. It also shows your employees that it's OK to make a mistake.
- Learn from it: To me this is one of the greatest tools that a mistake or bad judgement can give you. Learn from it, understand why you made the decision you did. Understand how you could have made a better decision.
- Take action: Once you have learned from your poor decision making, take the appropriate steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again. Whether it is not hitting the, "Send" button or defending your incorrect understanding of American history.
I understand that it's easy to look in on someone else and say, "Just take responsibility for your actions" I have made my share of mistakes as a leader, and on a personal level. I have always made a point to take responsibility for my actions, hold my self accountable and to try and learn from it. It's not fun, it's embarrassing and can cause pain to others. In the long run though, it causes growth and stronger relationships. More importantly, it creates better, human, leaders.
Why is it important to have accountability as a Leader? Does it show strength or weakness? Why or why not?
Posts
