DON’T LET MISTAKES PARALYZE YOUR LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP ENDURANCE

 

Ever feel like you made a mistake?

Better yet, have you ever looked in the rearview mirror and seen a series of mistakes?

And then when you saw all that, you sat in those feelings and insecurities and began to doubt yourself?

How do you shake that off?

 

Perspective helps.

Consider this one example…did you know Lincoln couldn’t find a good general to lead the army?

Winfield Scott lasted eight months into Lincoln’s presidency.

George McClellan had a glorious five-month career as “General in Chief” of the Union Army.

Lincoln and his War Secretary, Stanton, tried to do the job.

Henry Halleck’s tenure was less than two years.

Lincoln finally promoted Ulysses S. Grant who led the army to win the war.

 

Were the generals before Grant a mistake? That’s for history to decide.

 

But notice what Lincoln did NOT do…he didn’t stop.

 

Winfield Scott couldn’t get the job done.

That didn’t stop Lincoln.

He hired the next general.

That didn’t work out.

Lincoln promoted another one.

 

Eventually, Grant became general and the war was won.

Lincoln never quit trying.

He kept putting people in positions and coaching and hoping for a good outcome.

The stumbles of the past didn’t stop him from making progress to his ultimate goal.

 

So, got some mistakes?

Have a few things you’d never do again?

Who doesn’t?

Be like Lincoln.

 

Try new methods.

 Give other folks a chance to solve the problem.

 

Listen to new voices.

 

We all have regrets over decisions and choices we’ve made.

Spend a moment and lament them.

Learn from those decisions.

But don’t get stuck there.

Move on to the next decision.

 

Take a step toward the future.

Do what is right and best.

You can always fix a mistake, but you’ll never achieve a goal if you don’t make a move.

 

Hope will triumph.

Easy never changed the world.

 

– Brian Sanders

 

 

 

Brian Sanders is an author/speaker and Executive Vice President of Positive Alternative Radio. To contact him or for more information about his book, Leadership Endurance, visit www.briansandersauthor.com .