The coffee stain in the carpet (pictured above) illustrates the point…
Last week we looked at the topic of “making mistakes” in leadership. This was prompted by a question asked of me, “If you ever were to write a book on leadership, what would be the title?”
As mentioned last week, my response was immediate, “I would call it ‘1,001 Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them.’”
I went on to say that most of what I have learned about leadership is the result of making mistakes and then learning valuable lessons from each one of them. As a result, most of what I “know” is the result of mistakes I have made!
Here are several other ways in which mistakes can be valuable to those who lead:
Humility: Nothing is more humbling than making a mistake in leadership. And humility is a key ingredient to the character of a leader
Alertness: Mistakes can cause us to double and triple-check the “math” before we make or implement decisions. We can become more alert to the direct or collateral consequences of decisions because we have “been there before.”
Teamwork: Our mistakes can help us realize the value of teamwork. Namely, when the advice and input of others is sought, we are less likely to make errors in judgment than when we blaze ahead on our own.
Wise Counsel: We ourselves can grow in giving counsel to others in leadership. Our experience – specifically our mistakes – can inform us as we assist others in the deliberations they face in leadership.
Time Saved: If we learn from our mistakes, we don’t need to repeat them. Among other things, this can save a bunch of time.
Certainly there are other lessons we can glean from our mistakes. The key, is to learn from them and not shy away from viewing our mistakes with the same potential for redemption as our victories.
On this topic, I would not hesitate to admit that I have learned a lot. Mistakes are like that !
What do you think?