Errors, flubs, and gaffes

In the course of human events, individuals sometimes make mistakes, even professionals who are at the apex of their careers.  More often than not, these errors are are a consequence of acts of commission derived from good intentions.  As leaders, how are we to react or respond when a team member or subordinate fumbles the ball, drops a pass, or misses a block or tackle?

Before answering that question, I believe it is important to make a distinction between excellence and perfection.  Excellence is that quality of being outstanding or extremely good, whereas perfection is that quality of being free from all flaws or defects.  Certainly, striving to be flawless is one sign of excellence.  However, being flawless is rarely, if ever possible.  For the sports enthusiasts among you, consider Derek Jeter, the NY Yankees short stop for past nineteen seasons.  He is a five time world series champion and five time golden glove award recipient, as well as a all-star selection in thirteen of his nineteen professional seasons.  Derek Jeter is regarded as one of the best short stops in the history of baseball.  And yet, he is not perfect.  Over the course of his nineteen year professional career, Jeter committed, on average, 13 errors each season.

Turning to a scientific, rather than athletic view on the subject, there are many who would argue that being flawed is the essence of being human.  Modern genetics tells us that infinitesimally small variations (or coding errors) in DNA are at the heart of evolution, and these "mistakes" are responsible for the variety, complexity, and beauty of all living organisms. Most (if not all) contemporary evolutionary biologists tell us that without random error in the genetic code we would not exist.

So, back to leadership, and the question as to how we should deal with mistakes made by those under our care and supervision.  Certainly, it is helpful to point out errors, explain the impact, and ask that the same error be avoided in the future.  In addition, it may be helpful to recall what Alexander Pope, the eighteenth century English poet, wrote on this subject in his Essay on Criticism: "To err is human; to forgive divine."