Everyone makes mistakes – we often say that ‘to err is human, to forgive divine.’ And despite occasional assertions to the contrary, our leaders are in fact human. So our leaders have made mistakes, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

The consequences of our leaders’ mistakes are usually greater than the mistakes of those led; through their decisions and actions, leaders cause many others to do things. This is the definition of leadership. In meritocracies, individuals rise to leadership roles because they are viewed as capable and skillful, and are therefore expected to make good decisions for the organizations they lead. But we also say that ‘mistakes will happen.’

About a week ago, U.S. President Barack Obama made a comment at a press conference (about the racially-charged arrest of a noted college professor) that exploded into a firestorm of popular and media criticism. In an unscheduled press appearance a few days later, he somewhat clumsily acknowledged his error, and has since arranged to sit down for a beer with the professor and police officer involved. His admission was kind of a refreshing moment. In his remarks, Obama said that he hoped the episode would become a ‘teachable moment,’ presumably on the topic of race at the center of the incident. Perhaps it can be a teachable moment here, as well.

We properly hold our leaders to a higher standard when it comes to their errors; we want errors to happen infrequently, we want leaders to be motivated to avoid errors, we want errors to be quickly rectified. We want confidence that our leaders’ directions will lead to good outcomes for ourselves. Leaders with too many errors don’t always get to keep their jobs, especially when financial performance and stock price reflect the consequences of those errors.

Leaders face a dilemma when they err – to avoid the appearance of fallibility so as to sustain a perception of error-free performance, or to acknowledge their error and risk losing the support and trust of those they lead. All too often, leaders find it more attractive to try to be seen as error-free.

Many of the organizations I’ve worked with have become dysfunctional over time because of this approach to error. Their leaders are willing (sometimes even relieved) to unburden themselves of their misdeeds behind closed doors, but are simply unable to do so in a public setting. The members of these organizations are aware of the mistakes, but fear retribution from raising any public discussion of the errors. Thus, leaders and the led enable each other to sustain a fictional parallel universe in which everything is (and will continue to be) hunky-dory. It is unsurprising when these leaders finally do go away, and only a short time before a new parallel universe is constructed around the next regime.

But other organizations have a healthier culture in which errors are expected and handled as part of normal routine. Leaders freely admit their mistakes and are open to criticism. Willingness to quickly identify problems and to focus on corrective action rather than blame means that the impact of errors is lessened. Contrary to intuition, employees trust and are loyal to their fallible leaders more than those who attempt to appear infallible.

Strategy is about setting a direction for an uncertain future. Errors will be made. Hypotheses will be more quickly proven or disproven when leaders expect to be wrong, and course corrections can easily be made. But how often have you heard your leader say, “I made a mistake, and I was wrong. Let’s move on.” ? Have there been teachable moments in your organization? Please share your comments below.

Guest Blog Author: Robert Gold

Robert S. Gold brings over three decades of professional experience to his role as founder and thought leader of Tenacious Tortoise, LLC.

This post was originally published at the Tenacious Tortoise blog. Reprinted with permission.

Fortunately, power is not something you can buy or take. It can only be given to you by others. Follow these four ways to earn more organizational power.

Shore Up Your Integrity
When it comes to leading change, your integrity is your most important characteristic. If you are not credible or trustworthy, you won’t earn the power needed to make change happen. When people know they can count on you, they give you the authority to take on responsibility and make decisions that affect them.

The only way to increase your integrity is to not do things that destroy it. Keep your promises, and match your actions to your words. Refrain from saying things that reduce your trustworthiness, like talking about others in their absence. Tell people the truth, even if the answer is, “I don’t know.” It might be helpful to partner with someone who can observe you at work and let you know when you do things that might be decreasing your integrity.

Increase Your Visibility
The more people see you and your cause for change, the more power you will have just by gaining attention. As you tap into a broader network, you will gain supporters, even detractors, but when they see you as the champion of the cause you will solidify your personal brand as a change advocate. Attention is power.

You also want leaders to take notice. To increase your visibility with them, schedule meetings, make presentations, and speak up. When management gives you their time and attention, they are giving you the opportunity to influence them. Take advantage of the power they are lending you in that moment.

Exercise the Power You Already Have
You probably have latent power that you are not using. Not using power you have is as useful as not having it at all. The following are examples of power that everyone has, but not everyone uses.

• Time. You exercise power by what you spend your time on. It’s the only finite asset that you have.
• Knowledge. Remember the old adage, “Knowledge is power.” Share your knowledge and skills with others.
• Attitude. A recent study showed that happiness is contagious. You have the ability to influence others by choosing your own attitude.
• Responsibility. You carry power in the tasks you personally manage. Take on more responsibility, and earn more power.

When you exercise power generously, it multiplies. Advocate for others in your organization who have less power than you, and they will give it back in return.

Ask For it
In some organizations more than others, power comes from having a title. If that is the case in your organization, ask for that promotion or title change! You might just get it. At the same time, don’t let not having a title be an excuse for not exercising the power you have.

Leaders can also bestow power to you by acknowledging your expertise and ownership of the project. Their attention and empowerment legitimize your efforts. If you feel like you need more support in one form or another, you might need to ask for it. Leaders may not automatically consider providing that for you, especially if it means giving up some of their own power and authority.

The goal of these four ways to boost power is of course not to gain power itself. Once you have more power, then it is up to you to figure out how best to use it to make change happen in your organization.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like:

• How to Get Beyond Leadership Buy-in
• Four Steps to Light a Fire (Organization)