{"id":3502,"date":"2013-11-14T20:32:56","date_gmt":"2013-11-15T02:32:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scottcochrane.com\/?p=3502"},"modified":"2013-11-14T20:38:44","modified_gmt":"2013-11-15T02:38:44","slug":"5-immediate-steps-when-youve-blown-it-as-a-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottcochrane.com\/index.php\/2013\/11\/14\/5-immediate-steps-when-youve-blown-it-as-a-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Immediate Steps When you\u2019ve Blown It as a Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every leader faces it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The blown call. The missed opportunity. The missed goal. The failed plan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For leaders it\u2019s not a question as to whether or not you\u2019ll make a big blunder at some point. The only question is, \u201cHow will you respond?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When you\u2019ve dropped the ball in your leadership, the following 5 steps are critical in order to restore credibility and get things back on track.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let time pass. As soon as you\u2019re aware of a leadership failure move immediately to these five steps:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Own it<\/strong><\/p>\n

Start by staring down the mistake, raise your hand and admit to yourself, \u201cThat\u2019s my responsibility\u201d.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t own more than you are actually responsible for, but at the same time don\u2019t shy away from your responsibility.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Assess it<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the immediate aftermath of a failed plan the first reaction can be to over-estimate the damage. Take a moment. Breathe. Honestly assess the impact of the error.<\/p>\n

You might discover that the damage is less than you imagined. That said, don\u2019t minimize it either. Take the time to accurately assess the fallout.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Acknowledge it<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every leader answers to someone; a board, a congregation, a committee, a supervisor. Once you\u2019ve owned the mistake personally and assessed the damage, you must meet with those to whom you are accountable. And you must openly acknowledge exactly what has happened.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t shirk your responsibility. Don\u2019t blame. Simply acknowledge your culpability, take your lumps, and move directly to step 4.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Fix it<\/strong><\/p>\n

A wise leader once defined leadership as being all about solving problems, whether you inherited them or caused them yourself.<\/p>\n

In this case, having caused the problem you now face, there\u2019s no more time to wallow in it. Having owned it, assessed it, and acknowledged it, you just need to fix it.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>Learn from it<\/strong><\/p>\n

The cycle is not complete until you have clearly identified the answers to these questions:<\/p>\n