Hi Reader,

On Monday, we separated the “mistake” from the “lie” and talked about how easy it is to slide into denial and coverup while failing to see the value of admitting our mistakes.

Let’s dig a little deeper and consider the many advantages of admitting our mistakes.

Before we get there, let’s be clear about one thing.

Honesty Is An Integral Part Of Our Integrity.

No, they are not the same thing.

Honesty is telling the truth. Integrity raises the bar, aligning your actions with your values and moral principles — regardless of whether it benefits you — and as they say, consistently doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

You have little chance to Be an Effective Leader anyone will follow unless your integrity is worn on your sleeve.

Denying even a simple mistake, regardless of how undetectable it may be to others, is the first step down a slippery slope that will irreparably damage your reputation and any chance you have of being that Leader Worth Following.

So, instead of thinking about the downside of admitting your mistakes — the possible embarrassment and acknowledgment of your imperfections — consider …

The 6 Powerful Benefits of Admitting Your Mistakes.

1. It’s Easier and More Effective to Fix Mistakes Fast

In most organizations, fixing mistakes consumes a lot of time.

That’s one of the problems of having humans working in organizations. (Hello, AI. You still need us!)

Admitting a mistake and resolving it quickly can prevent countless problems down the road. Almost always, the quicker a mistake is fixed, the smaller its impact and the more quickly the organization can recover and move forward.

2. Add Another Brick to the Accountable Organization You’re Creating

Next week, we’ll begin to tackle Accountability, one of the top 3 issues I hear about from every CEO I’ve coached.

In short, Accountability is a willingness to accept responsibility for our actions.

If you want to build an Accountable Organization — and without one, your chances of success are pretty dismal — you need to “walk the walk.”

As a leader, you are in the spotlight, and your behavior demonstrates to everyone exactly what’s expected — and how they’re expected to behave.

There’s no more powerful example you can set to build an Accountable Organization than to demonstrate the value of honesty and the power of admitting your mistakes.

3. Who Doesn’t Love Redemption?

For the most part, while we relish the fall of the mighty, we also welcome their redemption.

We know that we’ve made mistakes — and invariably, we believe we should be given a second chance.

That conviction seeps into the crevices of your organizational culture and sends a powerful message to everyone that it’s okay to admit your mistakes, fix them and move on.

No harm. No foul. Next!

4. Oh, What a Relief It Is

Another benefit you enjoy is the relief from the crippling weight of the sandbags of denial and deceit that undermine your health and humanity.

Keeping the denial going is like tossing another pebble into your backpack.

It seems minor and doesn’t weigh much, but when the mound of pebbles starts to grow — and you’re carrying that backpack around 24/7, it becomes an overwhelming burden — and the kind of crippling stress that ends careers — and lives.

5. Embrace Authenticity At All Costs

Authenticity is top of mind more than ever these days — and honesty is at the top of the list of what’s required for Authenticity.

When someone questions our authenticity, we get a little defensive — and the temptation to “lie and deny” can be overwhelming.

It seems you can get away with a lot these days — stumble while giving a speech, lose your train of thought, make mistakes — but if you’re authentic, people are far more likely to give you a hall pass for all of it.

6. Vulnerability isn’t Weakness. It’s Power!

It seems we’ve heard much more about vulnerability lately as a powerful leadership attribute.

Vulnerability is the kissing cousin of Authenticity, and both of them are powerful weapons in the arsenal of Leadership.

More leaders every day learn that the elixir of Vulnerability & Authenticity humanizes us. It makes us more approachable, encouraging those around us to be themselves, make mistakes and know that mistakes are the natural offspring of trying.

For good reason, Brenè Brown’s popular TED talk, The Power of Vulnerability, is in the Top 5 most popular TED talks of all time with more than 71 million views.

The Road to Recovery

It’s a simple list once you decide that the truth WILL set you free:

1. Admit your mistake.
2. Welcome the correction.
3. Accept the consequences.
4. Live with the pain.
5. Shut up.
6. Learn from your mistakes.
7. Move on.

Question: What’s the biggest mistake you owned up to in your organization? What happened when you did?

Don't Stop Leading!

Lary