SHOULD LEADERS APOLOGISE?

Nowadays, it seems like we are constantly hearing about public figures making controversial statements that carry heavy demands for apologies and /or consequences.

It would make sense that if leaders – corporate, political or otherwise – make a mistake or make an insensitive statement, a sincere apology would be the right course of action. It would certainly help them save face, demonstrate character and make peace with the public. But surprisingly, recent research by Columbia University shows that, following a blunder, apologizing might not be the right way to go.

The experiment tested public response to leaders’ apologies. And the results were surprising: “The evidence suggests that when a prominent figure apologizes for a controversial statement, individuals are either unaffected or become more likely to desire that the individual be punished.”

These findings validate the theory that apologizing might make public figures appear weak and risk averse, which may make them less likeable. So if you find yourself saying or doing the wrong thing, apologizing may not necessarily help.

Regardless of what research shows, I am of the opinion that you shouldn’t stop apologizing too quickly. However, it would be important to consider in what kind of instances you’d be apologizing in a leadership capacity – and your everyday life too.

If it serves an important purpose, the offence is of serious consequence, or if it’s appropriate that you as the leader assume responsibility for it… all of these will certainly have a positive outcome. Yet apologies aren’t necessary in all of the cases.

Bottom line, if you’ve done something that has major negative consequences for someone else, it’s important to acknowledge it if you value the health of those relationships. If you’re just apologizing to smooth things over or difuse the situation, you may need to consider what those kind of apologies may do to your authority or status. A leader that apologizes often over trivial things may lose credibility for those who want a confident, assertive person leading their path to success.

One thing is for sure, if you’ve messed up, whether you decide to apologize or not, whatever you do, be sincere and authentic. Don’t just say “I’m sorry”, follow up also up with an acknowledgement of responsibility. This will help you rebuild trust with people.

So is an apology the right move? Well, it really depends on what’s occurred and why you’re apologizing. But whenever you do decide to make an apology, make sure you come across as heartfelt and authentic—because if you truly are sorry, you want your audience to know.

To your success,

Isabel x

Isabel is an experienced Peak Performance Strategist with over 20 years of international work experience holding senior positions within the hospitality industry in countries around the world, as well as Executive and Leadership coaching, mentoring and training.
She specializes in high performance strategy, leadership development and building organizational culture to help leaders and their teams learn, grow and succeed.
Isabel is passionate about helping empower business leaders with the mindset, performance, skills and strategies that they need to get ahead.
More available on www.isabelvalle.com