92. The Courage to Admit Failure

As a business owner, you had a passion for the service you sell and helping others and most likely have found yourself becoming an 'accidental leader,' someone who leads not by design but by circumstance. On today’s episode of the podcast we’ll dive into accidental leadership and the power of owning up to mistakes.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to The High Performance Marketing Podcast, a show for business owners who want to create meaningful customer connections, using simple marketing and quality content. I’m your marketing guide, Ali Garbero.

Welcome back to the show. You know, success in business is a blend of strategy, skill, and often, a few happy accidents. As a business owner, you had a passion for the service you sell and helping others and most likely have found yourself becoming an 'accidental leader,' someone who leads not by design but by circumstance.

In this unexpected role, you face unique challenges, and amongst the hardest is admitting to and learning from mistakes. It takes courage in leadership to own up to errors, but it's this brave act that distinguishes exceptional leaders from the ordinary.

On today’s episode of the podcast we’ll dive into accidental leadership and the power of owning up to mistakes.

First, The term 'accidental leader' might hit home with you if your journey to entrepreneurship came as a surprise or you found yourself at the helm without formal leadership training. This happens a lot in corporate business - where most often it’s the people who work hard and are good at their jobs, that get thrown into managerial roles. Introverted engineers, quiet writers, or an introverted real estate agent who happens to be very good at being consistent, who is then asked to lead a sales team.

A leadership role can feel intimidating, overwhelming, and you may question your ability to guide your team effectively. Early on in my sales career I was kind of arrogant. My team leader asked me if I was ok leading a sales team of primarily men. As the oldest sibling in my family to a single mom - I thought “how hard can it be” you just tell people what to do - you never ask them to do anything you wouldn’t and there you go.

Ha - yeah right! I went through the fire in that director of sales role. Immediately learning that not everyone is motivated by the same thing in life, and that leadership is less of the football coach style methodology that I believed it to be, and more a Yoda, guide on the side instead.

There will be times when you be required to lead your clients as they look to you for ways to make important decisions. They will rely on you to lead them and that again - can feel like more than you signed up for. You might have believed “Hey I just wanted to show people pretty houses the way many real estate agents initially thinking about things. Or if you’re a web developer and you’re overseeing a website redesign, clients will lean on you to lead them and that will take a lot of confidence building and courage.

You should feel some comfort however that leadership isn't solely about well-crafted visions or impeccable decision-making; it's also about authenticity and vulnerability. When leaders demonstrate these qualities, they build trust and respect within their teams, with their clients and setting the foundation for an outstanding business culture.

Next, let’s talk about The Importance of Owning Your Mistakes

In an age where authenticity in leadership is more valued than ever, admitting mistakes has become a powerful tool for growth. It shows not just courage but integrity. I don’t want to get political, but remember when Bill Clinton lied to the entire nation - he emphatically looked at the camera and vehemently told us he hadn’t had any sort of affair with Monica Lewinsky. What garbage for us to be lied to that way. I think what’s hardest about trying to cover up your mistakes is that it involves not only dishonesty to yourself but to others - and when you lie, people can forgive you for it