Mistakes in Leadership

An article by Matt    No Comments

Yesterday we spoke about learning from our ministry crashes, today I want to talk about something similar: how to handle when leaders make mistakes.  Mistakes happen.  Mistakes are a natural part of leadership.  I am convinced that how we deal with our mistakes will ultimately define us as leaders.  Does your church try and sweep mistakes under the rug, or do you get out in front of them and over communicate what happened, and what is going to happen next?

At last year’s Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit Adam Hamilton shared a story about a moral failure involving two staff members at the church he pastors.  You can read a brief overview of what happened here, but basically Adam got out in front of the situation, emailed the entire church about what was going on shortly after speaking with with all the affected parties, and made sure that church leadership was able to frame the conversation about the affair, instead of letting rumors define the event.

While it is initially easier to allow rumors to define the event, the mess made by those rumors will ultimately make things tougher to deal with, and will erode people’s confidence in your leadership.  A recent article in Harvard Business Review puts it far more simply:

• Admit the mistake. Fessing up expedites the recovery process. While it’s tempting to shirk responsibility or slink away, it only makes matters worse.
• Try to laugh at yourself. If it’s appropriate, go ahead. Joking around gives others permission to do the same. After all, nobody wants leaders who take themselves
  too seriously.
• Reframe the discussion. People will want to talk about the mistake forever. Give the blunder its due, but refocus the conversation on what matters most: moving forward.

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