Don't Be Ashamed

Leadership Pitfalls

Seriously, it doesn’t look good on you. Shame is something others put on us. Hearing “Shame on you!” when we do something bad. Being ashamed is the condemnation we feel when we violate our own consciousness. I have good news for you!

You don’t have to stay ashamed. There is a great feeling that occurs when you own your mistakes, and decide not to repeat them. It’s called learning. Shame can cause us to feel confused and awkward and unworthy. A simple, “I am sorry. I’m not sure why I did that and I will do my best not to make that mistake again. Please forgive me”

That simple statement goes a long way in building back integrity. It acknowledges our wrong behavior, and possible ignorance, and allows the person that we have offended or harmed to forgive us. It shows humility, which is huge for transparent leadership. Studies of top-level leaders across every organizational type show that people love humility in their leaders. I won’t lie, it is extremely uncomfortable in the beginning, because it shows our fallible nature. We don’t like to expose that… but the truth is that everyone knows you are fallible. Lets just get it all out in the open and not keep that ugly secret hidden, because its really not.

That is the first step to rebuilding your integrity. Admit your are not perfect; to yourself and to others. Be quick to change your reaction to mistakes. Own them and move past them. Hidden things will come out at some point and bring your world crashing down. Be humble, ask for forgiveness. Then make amends or restitution.

If you want to learn more on personal growth, join me in one of my masterminds, or contact me for personal coaching. I’m here to help.

Be the change you wish to see,
Ken Noble