Admitting Mistakes is a Good Thing

"As a culture, we celebrate overconfident leaders over those who are self-aware, vulnerable, and humble. Acknowledging a mistake signals weakness to many," writes Gustavo Razzetti in a Psychology Today article. "As a culture consultant, I often see leaders fortify themselves with delusional self-confidence. They think that not admitting fault makes them look stronger."

Actually, the reverse is true, Razzetti explains. People actually respect those who can acknowledge mistakes. "Model the right behavior by sharing your recent mistakes with your team," he urges. "Organize a monthly meeting where everyone can share their errors and what they learned from them. Be the first to share to encourage others to do so."

And in the book Leading Early Childhood Organizations, leaders are urged to allow themselves to be human, which means not only acknowledging mistakes, but also sharing honest feelings with their teams. "For many years, leaders were taught never to appear too emotional. In the past, administrators were often judged as too weak if they ever discussed concepts as ‘squishy’ as leading in a heart-centered way. Recently, though, this misunderstanding has been turned on its head, as more and more has been written about the need to enlist both head and heart in service to effective leadership."

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