| It was March 2017, our team was playing a very good non-conference opponent. We had a strong team and this game would have serious playoff implications when the committee made its selection for the national tournament. The game was tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth. The opposition had a runner on first with nobody out, and they laid down a bunt. Our catcher fielded the bunt. His throw hit the runner who was out of the running lane. The ball ricocheted off the batter runner and went down the right field line putting the runners on 2nd and 3rd. The plate umpire called batter runner interference. Boom! Good call; EXCEPT he missed a key part of the ruling. Instead of moving the lead runner back to first, he placed the lead runner at second base! I went out and argued. The umpires reconvened and they stuck with the call. The next hitter singled. We lost 5-4. I was furious. Furious at the umpires. Furious at myself for not making sure the rule was enforced and protesting the contest. It was a game you lose sleep over. The next morning, I received this email from the crew chief: Mike, I wanted to personally e-mail you to apologize for the wrong ruling I made on the batter-runner interference vs [ ]. I was wrong. The runner should have come back to first base. There is no excuse for my not making the correct ruling. Even when we got together, we all made the wrong call. That’s on me. I sincerely, apologize to you and your team.The next day I saw the umpire at the yard. He was still visibly upset. “I’m just sick over what I did. There’s no excuse. Please tell your boys I’m sorry.” Mistakes and Leadership Leaders make mistakes. Always have and always will. The longer and higher you travel on your leadership journey the more frequently and potentially costly these “goofs” will become. Decisions are part of the job. Sometimes you’ll make decisions under duress. Sometimes you’ll make decisions with partial information. You’ll falsely accuse. You’ll mistakenly put blame on others. As I meet with more and more people, a common issue I hear is a boss’s or supervisor’s unwillingness to own a mistake. Instead of a response similar to the umpire, they cower. Frequently, they begin to isolate making others uncertain. Or, they try to act as if their wrong doing never occurred. This causes the “elephant in the room” to grow and grow. Lack of trust follows. Lack of loyalty follows. Eventually, apathy sets in. What’s worse, the coach, owner or CEO then blames the subordinates. “They just don’t get it. What’s wrong with people nowadays,” they say. The culture is now broken. Lies and deceit are devastating. Leadership will look for all different reasons. However, it all started with lack of trust from chronically failing to take ownership of mistakes. Benefits of Owning a Mistake Why should you own a mistake? 1. It’s the right thing to do: Not everyone is confident. The people you lead may be wondering “Was I wrong? Should I have done more?” They’ll lose a bit of their swagger because of your mistake. One time is no big deal; however, over time, their make-up will be compromised. 2. Increases your credibility: You can’t fool a locker room. Players (and employees) KNOW when something is off. They respect your positional power; they won’t call you on the mistake. But they know. Admitting your mistake increases your credibility in other areas. 3. You model accountability: Most, if not all organizations, value accountability. We want it from our employees, however, we do a poor job of demonstrating because we fear it will make us look weak. Nonsense. By openly admitting shortcomings you are granting permission to others to do so. This promotes a culture that looks at issues as opportunities. 4. It diffuses tension: Think back to my situation. I was furious. After the umpire owned the mistake what was I going to do? Stay mad? Once you own the mistake the healing process begins. You may not be instantly forgiven. The other person’s response is not in your control. However, an honest and sincere apology begins the process. 5. It’s an opportunity to galvanize: Yes! Your mistake can actually pull the team together. People tend to rally around leaders who are transparent and human. People will run through walls for leaders they believe in. You can’t be “all in” with someone you don’t trust. Follow-up Honestly, if the umpire hadn’t emailed me I wouldn’t have the same respect for him as I do today. Because of his humbleness, he is now one of my absolute favorites. When he has our games I get excited. I know we are getting an umpire who cares. He learned from his mistake and is better now than ever. He took a bad situation and turned it into a positive. This in turn taught me a lesson in humility. This Week’s Challenge Are you ready to get uncomfortable? This week, join me in sincerely apologizing for a mistake. No excuses, just completely owning our part in a mishap. Look for three different opportunities. With our spouse or significant other.With our children.With someone at work. I can’t wait to hear about your experience. |
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