Have you as a leader ever made a mistake?

A leader I respect very much made a change last year in his business. Many others, including myself, followed suit and made similar changes. Recently, he admitted that his experiment had failed and that he was rescinding that change.

What was my reaction?

I respected this leader even more than before.

Why? Because he admitted his mistake, and he made it clear that he does not always have the answers.

The fact is, no one does. We just all like to pretend we do.

But real leaders are just that…REAL. What does REAL LEADERSHIP look like?

• They are confident, yet humble.
• They don’t hide mistakes; they admit them.
• They don’t pretend to be something they are not.
• They are true to principles.
• They are not too proud to ask for advice from those who work on their team. In fact, they welcome it.
• They don’t always have to be right or have the last word.
• They don’t get defensive when challenged because they know that challenge helps them grow.

This kind of leadership inspires true loyalty in a team.

It’s no secret. This year’s election, no matter which side of the fence you find yourself on, is about being REAL. People are seeking leaders who are real and who will simply deliver what they promise. They are not looking for perfection. They are looking for someone who is real enough to listen to them, represent their needs, and address their concerns.

Contrary to what we are prone to believe, our people are not looking to us for perfection. They don’t even expect us to have all the answers, which should come as a great relief. They do expect us to listen and simply…BE REAL…to be confident in what we do, yet real enough to admit when our “experiments” fail.

Are YOU that kind of leader?