While reading an apology email from Harvard Business Review this week, I was impressed with how direct and simple they make it look. Failing and apologizing are not things we see leaders do well. Don’t beleive me? Here are 3 Reasons Why We Hate Apologizing .
It makes us feel inadequate.
This is an old-school leadership style mentality, but the reality is the more a person is vulnerable, the better we are at leading. It shows our team that it’s okay to fail, and it’s part of growing in a role.
It’s humiliating.
Let’s be real, admitting we are wrong feels terrible. Will the apology even be taken well? Listen, going through a little humiliation will keep us humble. Getting that direct feedback as we speak (or write out) an apology will shed light on other areas.
It requires a MASSIVE amount of self-awareness.
Apologizing means you saw something and now you have to fix it. Yet, so many times we fall short because we are moving so fast through everything. Let’s slow down, and be more thoughtful.
I hope this makes you feel better about making mistakes and apologizing proudly. Although there are manymore than 3 reasons we hate apologizing, we need to instead learn how to do better. The more we say sorry, the more room there is for “thank you”.
