I need to experience more leadership failures.
I want the lesson to sink in—that leaders are fallible. I want the expectations to be reset. To not be surprised when they fail. To move from if to when.
So many are scared to fail. No opportunity is given for corrective action. Or acceptance. Sink or swim as the only option.
I don’t want to root for their failure. Or assume that they will. I want there to be space for the human. And death to the superman.
I want to make more leadership mistakes. Mistakes mean a decision was made. Good leaders are decisive. I want to fail fast with small decisions. Teach the lessons of my fallibility while the stakes are low. Continue deciding with the best intentions and consistent integrity when the stakes are at any elevation.
Failing to make decisions is the ultimate failure. It provides no feedback loop for improvement. It is stagnation. Fail fast. Succeed slow.
Rushing decisions is not the goal. Some decisions are easy to course correct once the feedback loop completes. Problems arise when leaders treat every decision as irreversible.
Most decisions are reversible. The cost is swallowing your pride. The conversation that flows out usually generates strengthened relationships. Humility is the superior virtue, it turns out.
Published: 2022-07-28