What Do You Do When You Make A Leadership Mistake?

Depends on the mistake! 😊

Is it a relationship mistake, such as not keeping a promise you made to an employee? Check, done that!

Is it a production mistake, such as failing to meet a deadline? Check, done that!

Is it an empowerment mistake, as in you came into the conversation a little too bossy, rather than helpful? Check, done that!

So, what do you do when you make one of these mistakes? There are 5 steps of moving forward:

• Acknowledge your mistake: don’t ignore it, acknowledging is half the battle!
• Take steps to fix it right away if you’ve hurt someone in a physical or emotional way
• Apologize for your mistake: be real and honest with yourself and others
• What’s the REAL problem? The mistake isn’t the real problem! Your thinking that leads TO the mistake is the problem! (do you need to change a system or process, do you need some self-care or personal development time, do you need to change your thinking, or build a skill set?)
• Forgive yourself! You are doing the best you can with what you have and know. You are on a journey. Give yourself some grace. Blaming, shaming, and guilting never got a leader our of their mess and into their greatness!

You can do these steps with small or large mistakes. I challenge you, today, to start noticing your pattern of dealing with mistakes. Which of these steps comes more naturally to you and which ones do you struggle with?

“Every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” Thomas Edison