Sharing Success and Owning Failure: Building Trust and Setting the Foundation for Epic Results

In today's complex world, leaders are more important than ever.??Leaders must set the vision, motivate the team, and drive results, among many other important tasks.??If a team is to succeed, all those tasks and concepts must be built on a foundation of trust and mutual purpose, which is why as a leader sharing success and owning failure are critical to building successful teams.

This means that leaders are not afraid to give credit where credit is due and celebrate the epic-ness of their team – I often say, ‘I’m an okay engineer, but I’m a great cheerleader’.??I spend most of my time – think 80/20 rule - building up my teams and advocating for their success. Leaders must also be willing to take responsibility for their own mistakes, but more importantly, they must deliberately empower their teams to take risks by underwriting the team’s mistakes on the path toward epic achievement.

When leaders share success, they create a culture of teamwork and collaboration.??The leader shows that they value and appreciate their team, and they motivate them to continue work and achieve beyond perceived barriers.??When leaders own failure, they show their team that they are human and that they are not afraid to make mistakes.??This builds trust and respect and creates a culture of learning and growth.

Here are some tips for sharing success and owning failure as a servant leader:

????????????Celebrate successes.??When your team achieves a goal, make sure to celebrate their hard work.??This could involve anything from a simple round of applause to an organization-wide party.

????????????Give credit where credit is due.??When your team succeeds, be sure to give credit to the individuals who made it happen.??This will show your team that you appreciate their contributions, and it will motivate them to continue working hard.

????????????Own your mistakes.??When you make a mistake, be the first to admit it.??Don't try to shift the blame or make excuses. Instead, take responsibility for your actions and learn from your mistakes.

????????????Empower smart risk-taking.??Innovation often requires taking risks.??As a leader, you must create an environment where your team feels empowered to take risks.??This means giving them the freedom to experiment and fail.??It also means being supportive and understanding when they do make mistakes.

????????????Learn from your team's mistakes.??When your team makes a mistake, use it as a development and growth opportunity – in my mind, failure represents the starting point to something great.??Ask your team what went wrong: Was it a resourcing issue???Did they run into a process barrier or overwhelming bureaucracy???Do they lack the required training or education???There may be a root cause you as a servant leader can address in the next attempt!??

When you empower your team to take risks, you open the door to innovation.??You also show your team you trust and believe in their abilities.??This creates a more engaged and motivated team that is more likely to achieve its goals and more.

By sharing success and owning failure, you can create a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and learning.??This will help you build a high-performing team capable of amazing achievements.

What do you think of Sharing Success and Owning Failure???How have you used these concepts or others to build trust in your team???Add a comment or question below to keep the conversation going!

-Josh