‘Opportunizing’ Your Mistakes
Have you ever worked with someone unwilling to admit their mistakes? They’ll try to fake their way out of problems.
Paul told Titus to “strengthen the things that remain.” Tacit admission by a disciple maker that some things were wrong when he left Crete.
Seems the apostle had thicker skin than many of us.
Unwillingness to admit mistakes or confess sin is one of the quickest ways to build walls between team members.
As a disciple maker, you set the tone for your team. What you model is what you get. Do the right thing and you’ll get more of it from your people. And misbehaviors breed more of them.
Consider the story of a group of pastors who were cut off from their mentor because a lower-level leader lied to another. The leader eventually confessed his sin to his mentor, he then pulled a coverup on peers. They were left suspicions that their mentor had it in for this man. Years of friendships are in disarray because of one man’s pride.
On the flipside, think of a leader you’ve worked with who was open and honest with his or her mistakes.
I watched a young leader publicly confess to embezzling funds from a congregation. His frank admission evoked compassion in the crowd. People formed a spontaneous “reception line” to offer hugs and thanks for their honest confession. Eventually, this leader was restored to ministry.
No leader is perfect. So, why is it often taboo for leaders to be open about weaknesses and mistakes?
Since we know mistakes are inevitable as humans, why not skip hiding them and focus our energy on learning from them?
I’ve even discovered a positive benefit from including my mistakes as sermon stories (my sinful driving habits, too). They help keep me off of any spiritual pedestal and are sometimes good for laughs.
Wise leaders understand the importance of learning from mistakes. Wiser leaders go beyond that. They see opportunities arising from the messes they leave in their wake. They teach their teams to “opportunize” errors, extracting valuable lessons from them. The idea of learning experiences may be overused, but that’s because it holds so much truth. Most clichés are overused truths.
Here are three practices you can utilize as a transparent leader:
- Memorize the phrase, “I’m sorry.” A leader willing to admit and apologize for a mistake will cultivate healthy relationships and trust within ministry teams.
- Don’t keep repeating mistakes. While it’s impactful to apologize for mistakes, it’s poor leadership to repeat them. Making your mistakes count means changing your behavior for next time.
- Celebrate learning from mistakes. Be quick to spot errors, refrain from judging, and build better in the aftermath.
What’s one way you can become a more transparent leader today? How would it change the dynamic of your team, family or church? What is the best thing that could happen?