Gifted leadership occurs when heart and head – feeling and thought – meet. These are the two wings that allow a leader to soar.
– Daniel Goleman

“As a culture consultant, I often see leaders fortify themselves with delusional self-confidence,” writes Gustavo Razzetti in a Psychology Today online article.

“They think that not admitting fault makes them look stronger.”

Actually, Razzetti explains, just the opposite is true. People actually respect those who can acknowledge mistakes. “Model the right behavior by sharing your recent mistakes with your team,” he urges. “Organize a monthly meeting where everyone can share their errors and what they learned from them. Be the first to share to encourage others to do so.”

In the book, Leading Early Childhood Organizations, leaders are urged to not only acknowledge mistakes, but also share honest feelings with their teams. “For many years, leaders were taught never to appear too emotional. In the past, administrators were often judged as too weak if they ever discussed concepts as ‘squishy’ as leading in a heart-centered way. Recently, though, this misunderstanding has been turned on its head, as more and more has been written about the need to enlist both head and heart in service to effective leadership.”