Why Is It Important for Leaders to Admit Mistakes?

This blog post from Anne Mims Adrian of Auburn University breaks down several key reasons why admitting mistakes is a positive outcome. Here are the first three reasons:

Leaders who admit mistakes:

• show they are real humans too, increasing trust and loyalty.
• relate to others by the admission.
• give opportunities for others to do the same.

To see the remaining points and the rest of her post, see When leaders admit mistakes from Dec 31, 2007.

Anne also references a quote on mistakes found in the book, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. As a former graduate of Dale Carnegie, I also recall this maxim.

"When we are right, let’s try to win people gently and tactfully to our way of thinking, and when we are wrong - and that will be surprisingly often, if we are honest with ourselves - let’s admit our mistakes quickly and with enthusiasm. Not only will that technique produce astonishing results; but believe it or not, it is a lot more fun, under the circumstances, than trying to defend oneself."

Anne is the Associate Director of the ACES/Ag Information Technology group of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and one of my "weak ties" IT colleagues.

One last addition, my mother, Home Economist in Jefferson county from 1951 - 1956, had an even shorter truism for her children on leadership: Be humble.