PPI #83: How Your Mistakes Hold The Key To Stronger Leadership

Your mistakes actually hold the key to stronger leadership. When was the last time you told your team that you messed something up or that something was your fault?

Today I want to talk to you about how your need to feel safe is actually making your team feel unsafe and is holding you and the team back. Up your leadership game by focusing on demonstrating more vulnerability with your team. 

If a leader creates an environment which doesn't tolerate mistakes and the leader, him or herself doesn't ever admit to any mistakes, then the team will be very hesitant to do anything that puts their neck out.

When everyone plays things safe the level of achievement goes down. Why? Because we're staying within our comfort zone. Our success, however, is connected to stepping just outside our comfort zone.

So we need to make sure that we're not coming across as mistake-proof. When was the last time, for example, that you said to your team, "We didn't achieve this goal and it's because of me. It's my fault. You know, I messed that up." Or, "I know we made this decision, but that was the wrong decision. And that came from me. I inspired that decision. I'm sorry, I messed up."

Shine a spotlight on your mistakes so that your team feels okay with making theirs and your results will go through the roof.