Client Question: “I made a decision that I thought was right, but turned out to be wrong. How do I handle this without having my team lose confidence in me?”
There are many leaders who choose not to be vulnerable with their teams. Never admitting you are wrong can cause them to lose respect for you. Being vulnerable actually brings the team closer together and shows that you don’t have all the answers. Part of what makes a great team is the ability to bring different perspectives and experiences to the group. Each person has different strengths that make the team even better. By demonstrating your own vulnerability, it opens the door for them to do the same. If you have screwed something up, then say it. No one is perfect. Trying to be perfect is exhausting and makes everyone around you feel like they have to be perfect too.
Open up the conversations to say things like “does anyone see any issues with this or let’s see if we can think of any other alternatives.” It shows that you are open to other’s suggestions and want their ideas. Make this a part of your everyday conversations so that it is consistent and doesn’t just happen every once in awhile.
Once you reach certain levels of leadership, you can’t know all the details, nor should you. You need to rely on your team for that and be vulnerable enough to ask for their input to make good decisions. Your team will not lose confidence in you, they will actually respect you more for admitting that you don’t have all the answers. You are giving the team permission to tell the truth, have more candid conversations and it helps everyone to learn together.