5 Step Personal Development Process
Becoming a Leader: Challenge #6–Own up to Mistakes
Leaders are not expected to not make mistakes. Nobody is. And, yet, mistakes happen. While we can’t completely prevent mistakes from happening, we can learn from them and learn how to limit them.
The first step in the learning process is a critical one: owning up to the mistake. In order for the mistake to be corrected and prevented in the future, your team needs to know who is responsible and how it happened. By taking responsibility for your own mistakes, you will inspire others to reveal and learn how to limit their mistakes in the future.
As we discussed in Part 1 of this series, leaders ought to have a high EQ (Emotional Intelligence/Quotient). Part of that EQ revolves around the ability to manage social relationships. One way you can improve social relationships is by not only owning up to your mistakes, but to also take responsibility for your team’s mistakes. Seek to improve (individually and collectively), not to blame.
Becoming a Leader: Talent #6–Include and Engage Others
You don’t have all of the answers, nor are you expected to have all of the answers. But, as a leader, you should know how to get the answers. Do you remember the homicide detective character, Lt. Columbo, played by Peter Falk? Outwardly, Columbo appeared overwhelmed and confused. He always got the right answer when it came to figuring out the culprits of a crime, however. That’s because he wasn’t ever really overwhelmed or confused. It was partly a performance and partly his own acceptance of uncertainty. He was humble and uncertain, and, as a result, people liked talking with him. In the process, he learned a lot and his certainty grew.
