I know what you are all thinking, how will we accomplish today’s change?… I, for one, am RARELY ever wrong, as I imagine you are as well. (BTW, in my case, this is true only until my husband reads today’s post and blows my cover.)

Admitting that you are wrong and apologizing is often no easy task.  You my feel it will hurt your credibility, that you have let someone down, or that it is simply a sign of weakness… amazingly enough, it is quite the opposite.  Two articles I recently read in Forbes, one titled “Creative Leadership:  Humility and Being Wrong” by Doug Guthrie, and another “Courageous Leaders Don’t Make Excuses… They Apologize” by Erika Andersen both discuss how admitting when you are wrong can be a powerful tool as a leader.  Erica Andersen put it well in her article “…when someone truly apologizes, we know he or she is putting honesty and honor above personal comfort or self-protection.  It’s inspiring, and it feels brave.”

What an excellent statement of truth.  I find more credibility, respect and humanity in someone who can rise above their wrong and take ownership and responsibility for their mistake, and quite frankly, I feel that way about myself when I admit my own failures and mistakes.

Many of us were taught the importance of apologizing at age 2 on the playground… nothing has change, we are just older.  Mistakes are what make us human. In fact, if you are not making mistakes, you’re probably not doing much to grow, so make your mistakes and know that owning up to it will only make you stronger inside and out.