How Well Do You Handle Mistakes?

Using the following scale, rate each expectation of credible leaders in two ways:

How well do you think you are doing at meeting the expectation?

What might others think about how well you are meeting the expectation?

SCALE: 1 = significant improvement needed; 2 = slight improvement needed; 3 = skilled/competent; 4 = talented; 5 = outstanding: a role model

Expectation	How Do You Think You Are Doing?	What Might Others Think?
Willingly admits his or her mistakes.	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Treats mistakes as opportunities for learning and positive change.	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Effectively apologizes in a timely and sincere manner.	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Forgives others’ mistakes and does not hold a grudge.	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Avoids blaming others.	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
My Scores:

Scoring yourself: Add your total for each column. A single column score of 22 to 25 suggests that you are doing an exceptional job and meeting others’ expectations of someone who willingly and effectively admits mistakes. A column score of 19 to 21 indicates that you have some areas for improvement; on issues as important as these, I believe leaders should strive to be “outstanding: a role model.” Below 19 indicates a danger area, and you may be chipping away at your credibility. A discrepancy of more than 6 points between the two column totals indicates a possible gap in perception worth investigating. If your “How do you think you are doing?” score is higher than your “What might others think?” score, your intentions may be better than your actions. If your “What might others think?” score is higher, you may not be giving yourself enough credit for a job well done.