As much as all of us aim for perfection and to never have anything go wrong, as a leader, you’re going to make mistakes. It isn’t the mistakes themselves that are terrible, it is how they are handled typically. Taking ownership for your mistakes is a key leadership distinction.
Blaming others, justifying your actions or pretending like mistakes never happened erodes trust among your team and will discourage them from being accountable for their own mistakes. Great leaders take more than their share of blame and less than their share of credit, which creates an organizational culture of accountability, trust, empathy and humility.
When you’re accountable, you can also hold your team accountable for their actions, ultimately creating a sense of responsibility that will keep them continually striving for their personal – and your business’ – goals.
As surprising as this may seem, the logic is straightforward. When you want to connect with someone, having empathy allows you to discern whether you’ve gotten your message across. When you’re able to see another person’s perspective, you’re able to predict the effect your words and actions will have on them.
Without empathy, the reverse happens and you risk alienating the very people you’re attempting to create connections with, whether they’re your customers, employees, colleagues or competitors. Cultivating empathy is the precursor to almost every other soft skill required for leadership, from self-awareness to critical thinking.
Powerful leaders have a clear sense of purpose and are able to take their teams in the right direction.
Additionally, as they lead their group, they utilize strong leadership qualities to create a supportive sense of community for all who are involved. Becoming an empowering leader is about not only creating something that’s better for the group, but encouraging those around you to embrace their strong leadership attributes as well.
Best,
Manal
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