There are three little words that extraordinary leaders know how to say, and I’m not thinking of “I love you” (but those are pretty good).
The magic words are
"I was wrong"
When leaders say these words to their teams in a timely fashion, they build confidence and can move on to a better path.
The simple sentence “I was wrong” is the hardest for leaders (particularly pastors) to utter and the most necessary for them to learn.
If a church leader cannot admit to being wrong in a timely fashion, he or she can never correct mistakes, change direction, and restore success. The consequences get worse the longer denial prevails.
The arrogance of success is well-known. Powerful people start to believe that they are above the rules, that what applies to ordinary people does not apply to them. That’s sometimes how church leaders get into trouble in the first place, using their power to suppress criticism. They never have to say “I was wrong,” because everyone conspires to hide mistakes.
Churches violate this rule frequently when leaders fail to ever admit they are wrong.
Pastor, your people know that you’re wrong some of the time, just like they are. And they’ll actually respect you if you admit it sometimes.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER THIS WEEK:
- When was the last time I admitted to my team or my board that I was wrong?
- What am I wrong about right now? What do I need to do about it?
- Do I give members of my team the luxury of being wrong (and admitting it?)
- Do I have people around me that can freely tell me that I’m wrong? If not, why?
Thoughts? Is it really that big of a deal for you to admit you’re wrong? I guess it’s not for me… probably because I’m wrong A LOT and fess up to it as much as I can.
Have a GREAT week!
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