True Leaders Admit Mistakes

               Mistakes are inevitable and are proof that you are working and trying. Show me a person who has not made mistakes and failed and I will show you a person who has not tried anything new! Mistakes are useful for growth if we learn from them and heed the lessons they teach us. However, before you can decipher the message from the mess you must first admit the mistake.

               Admitting mistakes is tough because it makes you vulnerable. Admitting mistakes also strengthens your leadership skills because it actually makes you more trustworthy and relatable.

                A couple of years ago I actually showed up for a business meeting an entire day late because I made the mistake of putting it on my calendar incorrectly! Talk about EMBARRASSING!!! Instead of making up some kind of lame excuse as to why I missed the meeting and showed up late, I admitted my mistake to the person I was meeting with. That colleague actually agreed to meet with me the day I was “late”, we had a good laugh about it and even had the meeting over a nice business lunch! This taught me an important lesson – be honest about mistakes you make. The outcome from admitting them may actually be better than the initial intended result!

What is a recent mistake you could have handled differently?? How do you plan to rectify the situation?

— Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

               This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.