Great Leaders Never Apologize!
Jacob Morgan
Keynote Speaker, Professionally Trained Futurist, & 5x Author. Founder of "Future Of Work Leaders" (Global CHRO Community). Focused on Leadership, The Future of Work, & Employee Experience
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The worst phrase in the English language is “I’m sorry.” Whenever I hear that, I feel sick to my stomach, especially when it’s uttered by someone in a position of authority.
Great leaders never apologize! Why? Because they never make mistakes. In fact, I remember when I was in business I was taught to never show emotion and never say sorry.?
When you don’t do anything wrong, there’s nothing to say you’re sorry about. If something didn’t turn out right, then someone else messed up.?
I once had a quarter with terrible earnings. Did I apologize to my shareholders and employees? No way! I made my employees realize who had messed up and caused us to lose money, made them apologize, and then fired them. I’m in charge and know everything, so there was no reason for me to apologize.?
Apologizing makes you seem weak and cowardly in front of your employees and customers. Remember, you are the boss. Your apology doesn’t change anything, but it can make you come across as someone who can be questioned and challenged.?
Apologizing can also open a can of worms and often means you have to change your plan or strategy instead of sticking with something you know is right. You are the leader and the smartest person in the room--don’t let someone make you apologize for having a great idea! They should apologize for asking questions and not just going along with your plan.?
People won’t always agree with you, but that’s because they don’t know as much as you do. Don’t back away from something just because others might think it’s wrong--they don’t know anything. Great leaders hold strong to their beliefs and don’t apologize.?
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Just look at some of the greatest leaders of all time, like Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, J.D. Rockefeller, and Cornelius Vanderbilt--they got things done because they were determined and stuck with their strong ideas. They didn’t bow down and apologize when things were hard or people disagreed with them.
Apologizing is for employees, not leaders. Employees make mistakes and need to apologize to you for wasting your time and doing things wrong. But you’re on top--there’s no reason for you to apologize to anyone.
“I’m sorry” is the worst thing you can say as a leader! Get those words out of your mouth and stop apologizing.
-The Outdated Leader?
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Over the last 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking and working with some of the world's top leaders.?Here are 15 of the best leadership lessons?that I learned from the CEOs of organizations like Netflix, Honeywell, Volvo, Best Buy, The Home Depot, and others. I hope they inspire you and give you things you can try in your work and life.?Get the PDF here.
I hope this is meant as a joke.
Enterprise Sales & Growth Leader | Customer Success Strategist | Fundraiser Who Turns $0 into $50K+ | Growth Marketer & Culture-First Founder | Scaling Businesses, Movements & Impact from the Ground Up
2 年Apologizing is an act of courage and humility that allows a leader to acknowledge their mistakes and reach out to those who were impacted by them. A leader's apology can be powerful as it repairs trust with the members of their team and strengthens the leader-follower relationship. An authentic, heartfelt apology can create a space for understanding, forgive lack of foresight, and allow the opportunity for corrective actions. Making amends to those affected provides a sense of closure while conveying genuine humility. In complex situations, a leader’s apology can effectively manage the fallout and provide much-needed emotional support to move forward with purpose. Jacob Morgan
Chief Advocate-RBG| Health & Wellness Benefits Revolutionary| SME Advisor| ??Cool Nerd?? #JoinTheRevolution ???
2 年Oh thank goodness...I was literally getting heated lol. Thank you for this.
Author | Executive Leadership Mentor & Coach | Int. Speaker | Lecturer | Strategic Advisor | CEO at Geneswiss Consultancy
2 年The last line, "The outdated leader", is exactly what the text above tells about, Jacob Morgan.
Delivery & Implementation Manager with PMP Certification
2 年Satire at its best!