The Courage to Be Wrong: Why Admitting a Mistake is a Leader's Strongest Move

A leader standing in front of their team. The leader has just erased a complex diagram on a whiteboard and is handing the marker to a team member, gesturing for them to draw. The atmosphere is one of humility, trust, and collaboration.

In the mythology of leadership, we often picture the infallible general, the visionary CEO who is always five steps ahead, the one who is never wrong. We celebrate conviction and certainty, and we can mistake admitting error for a sign of weakness. But this is a profound and dangerous misunderstanding of what constitutes true strength in leadership.

In my years of navigating crises where the stakes are absolute, I have learned that one of the most powerful moves a leader can make is to say, "I was wrong." Far from being an admission of failure, it is a demonstration of immense courage, integrity, and confidence. It is an act that does not erode trust, but builds it. It does not signal weakness, but a profound strength that fosters a culture of psychological safety and innovation.

Clinging to a bad decision out of pride is a luxury no leader can afford. The courage to be wrong is not just a virtue; it is a strategic necessity. This article explores why admitting a mistake is a leader's strongest move and how to do it effectively.

The High Cost of Being Right

When a leader creates an environment where they can't be seen to be wrong, they trigger a cascade of toxic side effects:

It Shuts Down Feedback: If the leader is always "right," there is no incentive for the team to bring forward challenging information or dissenting opinions. They learn that it is safer to stay silent, and the leader becomes isolated in an echo chamber of their own making.
It Punishes Risk-Taking: Innovation requires experimentation, and experimentation requires a tolerance for failure. If mistakes are treated as career-limiting events, your team will stop taking the calculated risks necessary to stay ahead.
It Destroys Trust: Teams know when a strategy is failing. If they see a leader stubbornly clinging to a flawed plan, they don't see strength; they see a leader who values their own ego more than the team's success. Trust evaporates.

This is the paradox: the desperate need to be right makes it far more likely that you will stay wrong.

Admitting Error as a Power Move

Conversely, when a leader openly and honestly admits a mistake, they send a powerful set of signals to their organisation.

It Builds Psychological Safety

By saying "I made a mistake," a leader models intellectual humility and makes it safe for others to do the same. They create a culture where problems are surfaced early, not hidden out of fear. This is the bedrock of a learning organisation and is directly linked to higher performance and innovation. It aligns with the core principle of the After-Action Review: the goal is to learn, not to blame.

It Strengthens Trust and Loyalty

Authenticity and vulnerability are magnets for trust. When a leader takes ownership of a failure, they demonstrate integrity. The team sees a person who is accountable and trustworthy, and their loyalty deepens. They are more willing to go the extra mile for a leader who they know has their back and will take responsibility when things go wrong.

It Accelerates the Pivot

In a crisis, speed is everything. Clinging to a failing decision wastes time, money, and morale. Admitting the mistake is the fastest way to unlock a pivot. It immediately stops the flow of resources to the wrong place and frees the team to refocus on finding a new, better solution. It is an act of strategic agility.

How to Be Wrong: A Crisis Negotiator's Framework

Admitting a mistake is a skill. It must be done with sincerity and a clear plan for moving forward. Here's a simple framework:

Acknowledge It Clearly and Quickly: Don't equivocate or use weasel words. A simple, direct statement is most powerful. "The decision to enter that market was mine, and in hindsight, it was the wrong one."
Explain What You Learned: Frame the mistake as a source of learning. "What this has taught us is that we underestimated the local competition and overestimated our brand recognition. That is a valuable piece of intelligence."
Take Responsibility (and Absorb the Blame): Do not blame your team or external factors, even if they played a part. As the leader, the ultimate responsibility is yours. "This was my call, and I own the outcome."
Communicate the New Plan: Immediately pivot to the future. "Because of what we've learned, we are now redirecting our resources to focus on... Here is the new plan."

This framework turns a moment of potential weakness into a demonstration of accountability, learning, and forward-looking leadership.

Conclusion: The Strongest Leaders Carry Scars

We have a flawed image of leadership. We think of it as a smooth, upward trajectory of correct decisions. The reality is that leadership is a messy, iterative process of making the best call you can with the information you have, and then having the courage to course-correct when new information emerges.

The strongest leaders are not the ones who are never wrong. They are the ones who have the humility to recognise a mistake, the integrity to own it, and the resilience to learn from it. Their leadership is not defined by a lack of scars, but by the wisdom they have gained from them.

So, give yourself and your team the permission to be wrong. Create a culture where the truth is valued more than ego. The next time you realise you've made a mistake, don't hide it. Announce it. Own it. Learn from it. It will be the most powerful and respected move you make.

Are you building a culture that has the courage to be wrong?

Fostering psychological safety and leadership accountability is key to navigating complex challenges. To learn more about how these principles are taught in our executive workshops, please get in touch.