How leaders handle mistakes

It is not without a cause that leaders are venerated. They are change agents; they inspire people, reverse horrible trends, build great institutions, proffer solutions, create prosperity and bring out the best in others. These uncommon attributes give them a larger than life status and some of the followers begin to believe that their leaders are super human beings and are not susceptible to certain human foibles. While a leader cannot stop his followers from seeing him as a demigod, incapable of human errors, when a leader begins to believe the larger-than-life profile projected to him by his followers and begins to see himself as infallible and thus fails to own up to his mistakes, he slides into a pit that will eventually consume him. Leaders, like others, make mistakes. Leaders, like others, get better by learning from their mistakes. If a leader has to wait for his mistakes to be discovered by others before admitting same, he loses the respect of those he leads. Leadership sans respect is an empty shell not worthy of anyone’s attention.

 

Why leaders should own up to their mistakes

While many leaders are quick to point out their subordinates’ mistakes, they try as much as possible to cover theirs. But doing so is counterproductive. A leader should admit his mistakes for the following reasons:

 

Leaders earn the respect of others

Owning up to mistakes is not easy for leaders because it is an admission of wrong. Leaders are responsible not just for themselves but for many others as well. So, when a leader takes a step or a decision that results in the unexpected, he is unhappy with himself because of his cognizance of the multiplier effect on others. So, admitting that fault is usually not the easiest thing in the world. But when a leader is humble enough to admit the wrong without being prodded or goaded, rather than being subjected to humiliation, he is actually respected because the followers understand the thinking that produced the acknowledgement of wrong.

As the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic hit Germany earlier in the year, the Chancellor, Angela Merkel, announced that there would be a strict lockdown over the Easter holiday — which would have seen all shops and churches close from April 1-5.

But when confronted by health experts and business leaders that the lockdown could cause more harm than good, particularly the plans to allow grocery stores and supermarkets to open for a limited amount of time over the holiday — a move likely to cause crowds to gather, the leader realized the sense in their position and reversed the decision.

While announcing the rescission, Merkel said, “We must try to slow down the third wave of the pandemic. Nevertheless, it was a mistake. At the end of the day, I carry the last responsibility.

“It’s now important for me to say so here. A mistake should be called a mistake and above all, it should be corrected, preferably in good time.”

Did this reduce Merkel in the estimation of the people? Absolutely no. The Chancellor, who will soon step down from office, has an overwhelming public rating at home and abroad.

 

It builds trust

One of the attributes that followers appreciate in their leaders is integrity. To be a person of integrity, a leader has to own up to it when he makes a mistake. While no leader enjoys being wrong, admitting a misstep actually shows that a leader is as human as those he leads. When a leader does not hide his wrong from those he leads, he births a culture of trust which binds the followers to the leader and makes them go out on a limb for him when occasions demand it.

A 2016 online survey conducted by Dale Carnegie Training, which involved almost 3,100 employees spread across 13 countries, found that followers expect leaders to own up to their mistakes. According to the survey, eighty-one per cent of respondents said that having a leader who would admit to being wrong is an inspiration for them to give their best to achieve corporate objectives. However, only 41 per cent said their supervisors could be trusted do admit it when they are wrong.

 

Prevents problem from growing

When a leader makes a mistake and owns up to it, he stops a problem from going out of proportion. But when a leader tries to cover a wrong, he prepares the ground for the problem to consume him. When a leader is humble enough to say “I am sorry, I was wrong” he disarms the most vicious of his antagonists. But when a leaders tries to cover his mistake or insists that he is right when it is obvious that he is wrong, then he throws himself up for humiliation.

 

Fiona Onasanya

Fiona Onasanya had set for herself the great ambition of becoming the first black British Prime Minister. The journey to that lofty height started on June 8, 2017, when she was elected a member of the British parliament, representing Peterborough constituency. But her dream of becoming a prime minister came to a screeching halt on December 19, 2018, when she was found guilty of perverting the course of justice for lying to the police to avoid being prosecuted for over-speeding. She was eventually sentenced to three months imprisonment in January 2019 and was removed from office on May 1 of the same year, following a successful recall petition, which was automatically triggered in cases of a custodial sentence of a year or less, under the Recall of MPs Act 2015. That would be the first time in 30 years that a Member of Parliament would be recalled.

How did Onasanya, a British citizen of Nigerian ancestry, arrive at this pass?

She had been involved in an over-speeding incident on July 24, 2017, but to save her face, she claimed that it was her brother who drove the car. When it became clear that her brother could not have been the driver, she reluctantly admitted that she was the one involved in the incident. The court found her guilty of perverting the course of justice and sentenced her to prison. So, she went to prison and lost her parliamentary seat not because of the driving incident but for failing to admit it when she was wrong.

 

Admitting mistakes is not a sign of weakness

Although making wrong decisions or taking a wrong turn can be a temporary setback for leaders, owning up to a mistake is certainly not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength. The problem many leaders have with owning up to their mistakes is that they believe it could present them to their followers as being weak or unfit for the role they have. But that is not really the case. Defending a turf is natural to man. Many people would do anything to defend their position even when they are convinced that the position is not right. So, when a person comes forward to tell the world that he is wrong, he is not seen as a weakling because he has taken a position that many would not take. So, admitting a wrong is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength.

 

Creates learning opportunity

Making a mistake provides leaders opportunities for learning and teaching. It is an opportunity for the leader to learn from his mistakes, because as put by Henry Ford, failure is an opportunity to begin again in a more intelligent way. It is also an opportunity for him to teach others so that they can benefit from his experience and avoid making the same mistake, but that is predicated on his willingness to admit his mistakes. When a leader admits his mistakes, he is able to avail others of his experience; he also makes it possible for his subordinates to be courageous enough to admit it when they are wrong.

 

Last line

No leader can go wrong by admitting his wrong.