In a Harvard Business Review article, Deborah Grayson Riegel writes about how to correct leadership mistakes in a healthy manner. Riegel encourages us to take three steps.
The second step is “address what you need to do right now.” If you don’t identify what needs to be done to fix your mistake, your apology will seem meaningless.
I once neglected to assure that our team had planned properly for an event. My mistake resulted in embarrassment for a partner. I took responsibility for the issue, developed a plan and communicated it to all involved, resulting in better subsequent events.
John the Baptist told the Pharisees in Matthew 3:8, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
If you’re truly sorry for your leadership mistake, take appropriate action promptly to correct your mistake.
