Post | Grit Scales AB

Leaders are often perceived as role models that influence, take responsibility for and have the ability to “pour into” (inspire) others. They are also often seen as people who have the answers and are expected to guide others towards success. The collins dictionary describes someone that is “fallible” as someone that’s not perfect and is likely to make mistakes.

Over the years, some leaders have argued that acknowledging your own fallibility as a leader should depend on the context and on various scenarios that play out during your leadership tenure. Others have however stated categorically that no matter the context or scenario, a leader should always acknowledge their own fallibility in order to humanize leadership instead of idolizing it. These category of leaders who advocate for humanising leadership has argued that one of the major cornerstones of leadership is building trust. A feat which cannot be attained when the environment does not reward learning that can sometimes only happen by making mistakes.

For example, research has shown that leaders who speak openly about the various mistakes they made while rising to leadership has gained more trust and credibility. This is so because their stories are relatable and give hope to others aspiring to be leaders. These leaders are perceived to be more authentic, open and have higher integrity.

The perception of leaders as role models by default also makes leaders who acknowledge their fallibility more attractive as compared to those who don’t. These humane leaders usually create an environment in the team where the focus is on collaboration and learning instead of focusing on hunting for “scapegoats” who make mistakes on the job. For example, leaders who are transparent about blockers, setbacks, their own errors and challenges they face in their daily work - create an environment where people can learn from mistakes instead of covering them up. Also, leaders who have attained great levels of success and earned the trust of their team - have created an immense bond between their team and themselves such that their team can take initiatives on their own about decisions that will move the the team forward even when the leader is not present. Such leaders have created a psychologically safe environment where team members can make important decisions or disagree without product quality and delivery time being jeopardised. With such leaders, every mistake is seen as a learning opportunity instead of an avenue to trade blames or point fingers.

In conclusion, leaders should acknowledge their fallibility. In the process of doing this however, they should understand how to balance vulnerability and authority. They should also understand that doing this does not reflect their weakness or incompetence as leaders but rather, it should be seen as an opportunity to grow by learning, lead with humility, build trust as well as create a psychologically safe environment where everyones input is valued and a product with high quality is achieved.

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