Transcript

Absolutely every leader makes mistakes in the workplace. That is part of being a leader, particularly in the early stages of leadership. You'll make many, many mistakes in the first few years. You will believe things to be true that simply aren't about yourself or about other people. You'll make decisions based on the information that's perhaps incomplete, or that you've made assumptions, or you've made connections that weren't there. That's very normal, particularly if you're under pressure and you're under stress. And if you're new into a role, you've also got what I would call a very steep learning curve to go through as well at the same time. So there's an awful lot going in terms of your thinking and what you're focusing on at work. And under pressure, under stress with lots to think about, you're more likely to make mistakes. So the first and most important thing to say is you will make mistakes, and that's OK. And that's perfectly normal. The most important thing for good leaders is to know how to learn from those mistakes and what to do about it. So number one, as soon as you recognise that you've made a mistake, share that information with somebody that you trust. Think about how you want to either rectify that mistake or you want to do something differently or make a different decision. So I think often as a leader, people are very reticent. So I've changed my mind. I had it wrong. And therefore, I have to change my mind. Instead, I like to say to particularly new leaders, it's OK to say, I had this information. I made the best decision I could at that point in time. And since then, I've got some new information, and I've made a different decision as a result. That's perfectly OK to be able to do that. And again, it's back to communication with people- A, to communicate when you've made a mistake and reflect why you've made a mistake, and then the most important thing is decide what you're going to do about it. Now, there's a three-step model that I use a great deal with people when they have made a mistake at work. We're all very conscientious. We all come to work wanting to do a great job, don't we? Nobody comes in going, I'm going to do a really awful job today. I'm going to make a terrible decision. Nobody thinks that. So we set out trying to make good decisions and do good work. So when people make mistake, I often say to them, first of all, just feel the pain that you're feeling right now- the embarrassment, the frustration, the concern, the worry, whatever it might be that you feel. And now what's the lesson that you can take from that experience? Think about what you want to do differently going forward, how you want to improve the lesson, and attach that to the pain that you're feeling. Think about attaching the two. Because that is how the human brain works. The human brain will go, I never want to feel like this again. And so therefore, I'm going to learn this lesson-- much like a toddler touching a very hot radiator. It's exactly the same process. So you train your brain to learn something new, take a new insight about yourself or others or business or whatever it might be that you've learned. Now, the third and most important step in this process is the one that everyone forgets. So once you've done that, to move on, to let it go, to move confidently forward, accepting that everyone makes mistakes, believing in yourself and that you've learned from that experience and that you can become better as a result. Move forward confidently and positively, owning that mistake, not being ashamed of it and not letting it drag you down for years and years and years to come, which is what some people do. So go forth, confident you're going to try your best, realising you'll make mistakes, and asking for help when you do.