As the Bible states, “Pride (does) goeth before a fall.”
Why Leaders Struggle To Admit Fault
It never ceases to amaze me how many people, especially leaders, struggle to admit when they are wrong. They fear that acknowledging their mistakes will make them seem weak and incompetent. Former President George W. Bush couldn’t even produce one mistake when frequently queried about his handling of two major wars. In multiple press conferences, it was clear that he was struggling internally about what to say or not say. The press was frankly stunned by his lack of response. I don’t think he lacked anything to contribute; he thought it would be inappropriate or demonstrate leadership weakness to publicly acknowledge his mistakes. What a shame and missed opportunity to demonstrate courage and humility.Admitting Wrong Has Become Rare
He is not alone. Whether it is politicians at every conceivable level of government, business executives testifying before Congress, entertainment personalities coming unhinged in a very public manner, athletes caught cheating, or even religious and spiritual leaders caught in compromising situations, it has become passé to admit one is wrong and apologize. It has become more convenient to ignore, rationalize, blame others, or claim some level of situational uniqueness or entitlement. The only thing that spurs people into action is when it is career-threatening not to take responsibility. People who refuse to acknowledge their faults or misdeeds cause significant damage and waste energy. The situation is often much worse than it would have been if they had come clean from the start. Making mistakes means you are human. Everyone makes mistakes, falls, and learns from them. Making the same mistakes repeatedly out of hubris is not the same thing. Moreover, covering up these mistakes often leads to worse consequences. Avoidance never works in life. If you are not careful, the problem will only worsen, fester, and ultimately come back to haunt you.Pride, Integrity, And Trust
Pride has ruined many careers and lives. Leadership is about having integrity and building trust. If you are not straight with voters, customers, employees, colleagues, friends, or your family, they will inevitably find out. Better to come clean, apologize, ask for help, state what you’ve learned from the situation, and commit to being smarter and better in the future. No one is perfect, but your flaws and/or errors in judgment don’t have to be fatal.Related articles
- Common Leadership Mistakes (ascendbusinessstrategies.wordpress.com)
- Common Leadership Mistakes, part 2 (ascendbusinessstrategies.wordpress.com)
- Be Wrong and Pick Your Battles Carefully … (timesunion.com)
- Learn From Your Mistakes (capacity-building.com)
- The Three Hardest Words for Leaders to Say (linked2leadership.com)
- A Man Must Be Big Enough To Admit His Mistakes, Smart Enough To Profit From Them, And Strong Enough To Correct Them… (shantesmith0706.wordpress.com)
- Always admit when you are wrong and try to correct your actions immediately. (jeremyliddle-entrepreneur.com)