Should Leaders Forgive ?

Should Leaders Forgive ?

One of your team has been late for meetings three days in a row.

Another team member has failed to follow up with a new client on what would have been significant business and the client and you then hear that the client is taking that business to one of your competitors.

One of the team members is four days late with his weekly report.

Managers in this situation may look for retribution, some form of ‘punishment’.

Some managers may even wait for a moment when they can ‘download’ their feelings to these individuals.

In this process of holding on, they are carrying negative feelings towards this person or these people who have created some issues.

Life is too short to be carrying, what is like ‘negative baggage’, in the mind of the manager. And these ‘grudges’, carried silently, can impact mental health.

Leaders, especially exemplary leaders, carry a value which is often displayed by adherents to the major religions: forgiveness.

A simple act, often done in silence by the leader by saying “it’s OK, I forgive him“ will allow the leader to move on.

Of course, in moving on, there may well be discussion with the individual concerned, where the leader will simply say : “You’re not going let that happen again are you?

Often a simple comment like this will have more impact on the individual, making his or her determination to a avoid mistakes even stronger, because they know that their leader will not hold this against them, that he or she has forgiven them.

Forgiveness is such a powerful act, just in those few words, but the individual to whom the forgiveness is directed will absolutely, in most cases, want to make sure that that issue never arises again, the leader does have to show forgiveness.

Knowing that authentic leader is not going to carry any negativity because of actions or words of the individual, builds even more respect to their leader, in the mind of the person who may have been given that forgiveness.

Who do you need to forgive?

At the end of each day, why not recall the events of the day and just identify if there’s anything anyone may have done who you should silently give forgiveness to.

Likely, you’ll have a better sleep because of that. 

And overall, the respect that others have of you will grow even more - because you forgive.

#Leadership #Leaders #Leading #Forgiveness #Forgiving