An embattled leader’s apology we should actually pay attention to

It’s not often an apology by an embattled business leader stops me in my tracks. But that’s what happened when I saw Matilda Djerf’s statement addressing her behaviour towards staff at her company.

Djerf, for context, is the 27-year-old founder of Swedish fashion brand Djerf Avenue. Having emerged as an online influencer in 2016, she launched the company in 2019. It is performing well, reporting nearly ￡30m in revenue last year.

Then, in December, Swedish outlet Aftonbladet reported allegations of mistreatment of her employees. The claims included bullying, body-shaming and even banning staff members from using the same bathroom facilities as her. The accounts of people quoted by Aftonbladet — such as “I've never been so afraid of a person in my entire life” and “I have never seen so many people so broken down” — were a stark reminder of the shadow leaders can cast over employees.

Djerf did not deny the allegations, so an apology was her only option. But there was something in her statement that I, in my 25 years of leadership coaching, teaching and researching, had never come across before: she admitted she wasn’t ready to lead.

“When I started Djerf Avenue I never expected that the company would be what it is today, with so many team members and so much responsibility,” part of her apology on Instagram read.

“I wasn’t ready.

“I had never built a company prior to this, and under a lot of stress, high tempo and naivety I failed to be the leader and colleague I wish to be along the way.”

Many of the responses on Instagram were unsympathetic: “Not knowing how to be a leader has nothing to do with [treating] others humanly,” read one.

Another said: “If you needed ‘experience’ to be kind, then you weren’t a kind person to begin with.”

These are reasonable points. But in admitting she wasn’t ready to lead, Djerf’s apology went beyond the usual platitudes we see in similar statements.

In my view, it actually showed remarkable self-awareness and humility. Here is an example of somebody who is at least prepared to be honest about her failings. It’s an interesting counter to the bluster we see elsewhere in the world of leadership.

The best leaders recognise any form of status or power they have is not for their benefit, but to be in service of something greater. If they are not aware of the shadow they cast, and the power they have, employees are unlikely to speak up or perform at their best because of fear.

One leader I used to work with really understood this. If there was ever a complex decision to make with his executive team, he made sure not to declare his hand until everyone else had expressed their opinion. My assumption was that this was because he knew that as soon as he expressed his viewpoint, there wouldn’t be an open and genuine dialogue.

We can all tell the difference between being led by people who are in service of something and others who demand our loyalty. If someone turns up in front of this person, do they get fuller, do they get energised, do they get guidance?

Djerf has at least put herself in a better position to become that energising presence by having the humility to own up to her mistakes and acknowledge where she failed as a leader. From here, the hope is she will grow as a leader.

It was a refreshing thing to hear… and we should pay attention to her words.

A message from the author

Thank you for reading the 71st edition of the Leadership 2050 newsletter. As CEO of Transcend.Space and former senior fellow of management practice at the University of Oxford’s Sa?d Business School, my coaching, teaching and research has focused on how leaders can transcend 21st century challenges such as disruptive technology change, the climate crisis and creating diverse and inclusive environments… alongside the ongoing challenge of delivering profitable growth. Through Transcend.Space and Sa?d, I have worked with leaders from many geographies, industries and governments. It has given me a deep understanding of how good leaders create value - and bad leaders destroy it. Never before has this topic been so important on a global stage, which is why I am undertaking this work.