Due to the uncertainty that comes with assuming a new role, many neophyte executives will avoid making apologies as not to appear weak. However, more seasoned leaders know that saying your sorry is crucial to cultivating a culture of top down accountability, solidarity and accessibility. Apologies also play a significant role in bolstering employee morale in instances of market upheaval or when a major overall in strategy becomes necessary.
Admitting that mistakes were made and owning those mistakes is the kind of leadership that inspires exceptional loyalty.
However, to inspire this loyalty, executives have to give the right kind of apologies. As this well-researched Chief Executives article explains, there are certain criteria an apology needs to have in order to achieve the desired effect. First, the apology must give without condition or justification. Not doing so will only come off as disingenuous or forced. Next, it’s important to personalize apology.
Taking responsibility for own missteps as a leader will go over much better than trying to pin the company’s problems on vague systemic issues. It’s also important to provide enough context in your mea culpa to keep it from sounding too by the numbers. The mistakes executives make are unique to them and the companies they lead so their apologies should reflect that fact.
Read the full article here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-apple-amazon-facebook-netflix-say-sorry-2012-09-29
