“I Was Wrong.” Why Leaders Struggle to Say It — and Why It Matters More Than Ever
Mark Graban
Helping leaders and organizations build high-performing cultures through Lean thinking, learning from mistakes, and psychological safety | 3× Shingo Award-Winning Author | Speaker | Consultant
When was the last time a leader in your organization said, “I was wrong”?
I recently asked that exact question in a LinkedIn poll. The responses didn’t surprise me—but they still concern me.
📊 Poll Results:
🔹 Only 14% said “Often – it builds trust.”
🔹 A combined 61% chose “Rarely – fear gets in the way” (37%) or “Never – not in my experience” (24%).
So that means 61% of people say they rarely or never hear leaders admit they were wrong. And that’s a missed opportunity for trust, growth, and culture.
Why It Matters: The Power of “I Was Wrong”
Admitting mistakes isn’t a sign of weakness. In fact, it might be one of the most powerful things a leader can do.
I shared six key behaviors in “The Mistake-Smart Leader’s Checklist”—and right at the top is this: Admit a mistake. Not defensively. Not with spin. Just honestly.
When leaders say, “I was wrong”:
They model humility.
They cultivate a feeling of psychological safety in others.
They invite learning and problem-solving.
And they signal to the team: “You can be honest here, too.”
That kind of trust can’t be mandated or trained into people. It’s earned—often in moments of vulnerability like this.
Why Don’t Leaders Say It More Often?
Let’s be honest—it’s hard.
There’s fear: “What if I lose credibility?” There’s habit: “I’m supposed to have the answers.” There’s culture: “We punish mistakes around here.”
But that fear, if left unchallenged, creates silence. And silence stifles improvement.
In environments where leaders never admit to missteps, employees learn to hide theirs as well. That’s when real risks multiply—whether it’s a delayed patient diagnosis or a missed manufacturing defect.
Let’s Normalize Mistake-Admitting
To the 14% of you who hear leaders admit mistakes often—keep reinforcing that behavior. Celebrate it.
To the rest: maybe you can go first.
Try saying, “I don’t know,” or “I might be wrong,” or “That decision of mine was a mistake.” You might be surprised what follows.
And if you’re leading a team? Know that your courage makes space for others to be honest too.
✅ Download the Mistake-Smart Leader’s Checklist here: mistakesbook.com/checklist
📢 Let’s keep the conversation going in the comments: When have you seen a leader admit a mistake—and what happened next?
#Leadership #PsychologicalSafety #ContinuousImprovement #MistakeSmart #LeanCulture #LeanLeadership
Neuropsychiatrist | Engineer | 4x Health Tech Founder | Cancer Graduate | Frontier Psychiatry & MedFlow Co-Founder - Follow to share what I've learned along the way.
2moThis poll hits hard, Mark. That 61%—saying they rarely or never hear leaders admit fault—is a glaring sign of the fear-based norms still baked into many organizations. And yet, every time I’ve seen a leader say “I was wrong,” the room softens. It doesn't weaken their position—it strengthens trust and models accountability. Appreciate your ongoing work in making these moments of vulnerability visible, and more importantly, valuable.
Bertelsen Energy | Empowering Sustainable Living, One Shed at a Time
2moThanks for sharing, Mark. It is important that teams are aware that it's okay to make a mistake! I try to teach my team that things happen, and the attitude I ask for. We came across an issue, or there is a problem and this is the solve, or this is what next best steps are. Let's recognize the problem or issue and solve it.
Head of Engineering and Projects Chartered Manager (FCMI) | Senior Electrical Engineer | Developing High-Performing Teams through Automation and Innovation
2moThanks for sharing, Mark Graban. It's a shame, leaders are not comfortable with showing their teams some vulnerability. We have to make decisions multiple times a day, sometimes at pace. It would be totally unrealistic for anyone to think every decision we make is the right one. To try and hide this only makes you seem disingenuous.