Q: Is it a sign of weakness to admit to your whole crew that you’ve made a mistake or that you were wrong?
A: Quickly and honestly. No, it’s a sign of mutual respect and strength. Weak leaders never admit they made a mistake.
Q: What’s the best way to apologize for that?
A: I was surprised how forgiving my team was. I would say “Hey guys, I got this wrong. This is on me. Let’s take stock of what we learned.” We would be “brutal” about scrutinizing our mistakes.
Most cultures couldn’t tolerate the kind of self-scrutiny we subjected ourselves to. The difference is, since the other 99% of the time, my crew knew I worked tirelessly for their promotion and advancement, when they needed to answer tough questions, they always know it was in the spirit of “Don’t be good, Get Better.”
