Admitting mistakes is a sign of strength, not weakness. It demonstrates integrity, promotes learning and growth, and fosters trust and respect within teams and organizations. So, why is it that so many people, especially leaders, have a serious problem with admitting they made a mistake? Is it ego, stupidity, stubbornness, lack of knowledge, vanity or all of them that causes people to resist admitting they made a mistake?
It takes courage and humility to acknowledge when we've made errors, but doing so is essential for building trust and credibility. Avoiding or denying the mistake will only exacerbate the situation and turn people against you. We should all understand that there is a big upside to mistakes.
Remember this about MISTAKES:
- They are the portal to discovery
- Experience comes from mistakes
- Success is built on a series of mistakes
- They should guide you … not define you
- They are just another step towards success
- They are meant for learning – not repeating
- Great lessons come from the worst mistakes
- Forget the mistake and remember the lesson
The downside to not admitting your mistakes is huge as a leader. Your employees will lose all respect for you. An attitude will start to grow, fester, eat away at any positive culture you have created in your company. I call it the “Why Should I” disease. |