Leading by example when you mess up

1w ago·1 min read

Made a mistake at work, admitted it to my boss, and owned it. Took the heat. My son asked why I didn't just blame someone else and I told him that's not how we do things in this family. A real man owns his mistakes, apologizes when he needs to, and does better next time. Told him I'm not perfect but I'm trying to show him what integrity looks like. Sometimes I think our kids learn more from seeing us fail right than from our successes.

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Comments(6)

LLance K.Regular6d ago

Exactly what I needed to hear today. Been wrestling with how to handle a screw up with my own boss and wasn't sure if admitting fault made me look weak. Clearly not.

MMike R.New Dad1w ago

That's the real stuff right there. My kids have called me out before when I've tried to dodge responsibility, and it stings. But they remember when you own it. Good on you for showing them what integrity actually looks like.

GGarrettRegular1w ago

Man, that takes guts. My kids have definitely noticed the times I've owned my mistakes versus made excuses, and it changes how they see me. That's parenting gold right there.

RRandy S.Regular1w ago

This is exactly what I'm trying to do with my three. The easy path is always there, but they're watching everything we do. Sounds like your son got the lesson without you having to spell it out.

MMark T.New Dad1w ago

Real leadership. I try to do the same with my kids when I mess something up. Show them that adults make mistakes but you own it and move forward. Way more valuable than pretending to be perfect.

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BBrianRegular1w ago

This right here. Your son is watching how you handle adversity way more than he's watching when things go right. That's the stuff that sticks with him forever.