When was the last time a leader in your organization openly said,
“I was wrong”?
It's not a common occurrence in many workplaces. And that's a missed opportunity.
Admitting a mistake might seem risky–especially for someone in a position of authority. It requires vulnerability. It takes humility. And it certainly takes courage.
But here's what I've seen: those few, powerful words–“I was wrong”–can build trust faster than a hundred pep talks.
We often hear that trust is earned over time. That's true. But in my experience, admitting a mistake–especially when the stakes are high–can accelerate trust-building more than most other leadership behaviors. It creates a ripple effect: others feel safer being honest, too. Psychological Safety increases. And with that comes openness, creativity, and continuous improvement.
I wrote about this in The Mistake-Smart Leader's Checklist, where admitting a mistake is one of six key behaviors that help leaders build trust and foster a learning culture. You can download it for free here.
To continue the conversation, I've also created a poll on LinkedIn asking this very question:
When was the last time a leader in your workplace admitted they were wrong?
You can respond to the poll.
The poll is closed… here are the results:
Please take a moment to vote–and feel free to share a story in the comments. When have you seen a leader earn trust through vulnerability?
What do you think about the results? It doesn't surprise me that 61% of people said “rarely” or “never.”
Please scroll down (or click) to post a comment. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
If you’re working to build a culture where people feel safe to speak up, solve problems, and improve every day, I’d be glad to help. Let’s talk about how to strengthen Psychological Safety and Continuous Improvement in your organization.
