Ever have one of those days, when you missed the mark?
Recently I missed the mark! I could have avoided this issue if I would have paid attention to details, especially on the human side of things. I never meant to overlook this situation, but I did and that hurt someone’s feelings. I have always held myself to a high standard when dealing with people. Going into this career I knew there would be days like this. I will admit my mistake and to be perfectly honest I took it hard. I allowed those I offended to vent their frustrations towards me. It was not my finest moment and it rattled me. I struggled internally, beating up myself, criticizing myself to the point I was rather depressed about it. Then it hit me yes, I screwed up. I also learned a valuable lesson, and that is what really matters most.
Countless self-help books will tell you that you did not fail, you learned. My favorite author: John C. Maxwell even wrote a book about Failing Forward. It is important to view our errors as learning opportunities rather than beat ourselves up about things we don’t get right. Imagine if we all replaced the self-defeating thoughts surrounded around our errors and see them as helpful moments of learning. We would move forward faster by not taking a lot of time dwelling on an issue.
Once we change our minds as we look at our errors, we need to keep moving forward. With my situation, I offended someone. I need to take it upon myself to improve that relationship. So, whatever the situation is, we must reflect on what occurred and figure out what our next step is to improve the situation. On the human side of things, this could take longer to repair. If you are dealing with a procedural process it might not take as long. We need to be looking for our next steps to keep us on the path of success.
The greatest thing leaders can offer is humility. Admitting when we have made and error or offended someone is so important to the people you lead. Do we always do or say the right things at the right times? Absolutely not but acknowledging this and improving this is so important.
How are you viewing your errors?
What processes to you need to implement to improve your situation?
Can you admit when you are wrong?
I have grown this week because I missed my own expectations. I have learned valuable lessons in leadership, and I continue to develop myself. I wish you well on your journey and I hope you took some insights from this post. Have a great week, and I look forward to hearing your comments.
Steven C. Bucks- Leading Conversations
