Collaboration vs Delegation

Honestly, I am the first to accept my mistakes, not because people around me are unforgiving, but because I am forgiving to myself.

When people make a mistake, and instead of taking accountability they actually defend it, then it easily turns into the worst part of your day.

Even top leaders rush to say: “It’s not my fault. The situation was like that. You misunderstood.”

Sounds familiar? But the real cost of evading accountability is the loss of trust.

Why Defensiveness Backfires?

Research shows defensive responses trigger resistance. Instead of solving the issue, we focus on pinning the blame and then escalate the matter. Harvard’s Program on Negotiation found that defensiveness doubles conflict time and reduces trust.

In high-pressure corporate settings, that means wasted hours, bruised egos, and damaged reputation. At home it mean high voltage fights followed by deafening silence.

The Smarter Response: For me has been accepting I am not ok and you are not ok and that is totally ok 😎!

Next time you slip:

✋🏻Pause.

🙅🏻‍♀️Don’t explain.

Stay quiet. Let emotions cool❄️.

If saying sorry has been your bane then Ask one powerful question:

 “How can I make this right?”

This shifts the energy from blame to solution.

Leaders who admit errors are seen as 29% more trustworthy (Journal of Applied Psychology).

Silence with an intermittent soft eye-contact reduces escalation and yet gives you control.

Interestingly an 🙏🏻apology plus action speeds resolution.

Your Leadership Test

The higher you rise, the bigger the spotlight on your mistakes.

But will you waste time defending… or win respect  by asking, “What can I fix?”

💬 Over to you:

When was the last time defensiveness hurt your team?

How do you coach your managers and employees to handle mistakes?

#Leadership #ConflictResolution #ExecutivePresence #Management