[May 29, 2014] The general rule of leadership is to own up to any mistake you make and do so promptly. In particular, this is true for senior executive leaders. Reasons for admitting your mistakes are many and will be listed here. Exemptions, however, for not admitting a mistake are exceedingly rare. One unfortunate exemption to admitting ones mistakes rests with a few politicians.
“In politics… never retreat, never retract… never admit a mistake.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
Most people understand what Napoleon Bonaparte was talking about in this quote. He was advising politicians not to admit their mistakes so that their political opposition could exploit it. Many believe this is an unfortunate piece of advice that too many political leaders are prone to follow. The reason is that people will discover the mistake eventually and trust between the politician and the public will be lost1. The link between not admitting a mistake (or outright denying it) and a lie, is razor thin.
Some reasons for admitting to mistakes and admitting them quickly are:
- It shows others that you are human and not that different from those who follow
- It is a sign of humility and makes you more approachable
- Demonstrates that you can be trusted to tell the truth, upfront, and honest
- Enhances credibility and respect
- Limits damage that the mistake can cause
- Shows moral courage
There are more reasons for admitting mistakes of course. This is just to get a flavor of the fact that the preferred course of action is always to admit mistakes and do so early. My boss always told me to bring bad news to him quickly (admit my mistakes) because bad news did not get better with age. That way, my boss could deal with the problem in its early stages and minimize any damage.
Those that fail to admit mistakes, to include politicians, set themselves up for greater failure later and are establishing a culture where lying, deceit, dishonesty, double-dealing, and pretense are acceptable forms of behavior.
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[1] https://www.theleadermaker.com/senior-leaders-and-big-lies/