When I think back on my previous corporate experiences, I am reminded of times when things just didn’t go right despite my best efforts. In retrospect, there were occasions when I was the cause of the problem. Yes, as good as I was at doing my job, occasionally I made mistakes.

Depending on the severity of the situation, sometimes these mistakes resulted in career repercussions. Now mind you, I'm not talking about the type of mistakes one makes from completing daily responsibilities. I seldom had that type of problem.

I must admit that I usually felt my ideas were best. Where I would make my mistake would be the times when I was willing to sacrifice the relationship in order to win the battle. I realize now that at times I had my priorities mixed up. I sometimes allowed my desire for control to take precedence over the need to use my influential skills.

Control versus influence can be a constant battle for a leader with a dominant style. Some situations do truly require you to have total control. However, I have learned that when it comes to working effectively with people where there is no reporting structure, it is truly more useful in the long run to focus on influencing the opinions of others versus trying to control everything.

If you want to build effective long term relationships with your peers, it is truly a mistake to always try to have your idea be the chosen one. Most times you can gain better leverage through compromise and allowing another’s perspective to merge with your own.

Today’s competitive work environment demands that you figure out how to work with others to get results. Your primary focus should be placed on creating the type of environment where everyone’s opinion is valued.

Taking the time to think about how your response can create a win/win experience when you have a difference of opinion with a peer, will go a long way in creating such an environment. Remember, it is more difficult to reestablish your creditability once you get a reputation for always wanting to have your position be the chosen one.

If your ability to get others to follow you by using your influential skills are rusty, challenge yourself to pick a situation in which you can practice. The objective is not to keep making the mistake of using the same approach to getting your ideas accepted. If you would like to talk with me about what it takes to make such a transition successfully, give me a call.

A great leader is not afraid to make mistakes because he or she realizes that mistakes can become the fuel for high performing results. In fact, Mahatma Ghandhi said, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” Effective leaders learn that some of their most valuable experiences are usually the result of mistakes made in an innocent fashion.

First, I need to stress that the topic we are exploring is not meant to imply that it is okay to not perform your job at a minimally good level. Make no mistake. Poor performance in today’s competitive workplace will result in unemployment. Given that you are performing in your assigned role, allowing yourself to make mistakes as you learn new skills is not only acceptable, but may be what it takes to get to the next level of performance.

Surprisingly, mistakes can be great confidence builders. Depending on the severity of the response to your mistake, you learn what not to do the next time you encounter a similar situation. Once you begin to accept that some mistakes are inevitable when you are working in either an unfamiliar environment or with a new idea, you begin to become comfortable with the notion that mistakes are okay as long as you learn from them. I want to offer you the following four recommendations to help you embrace the concept of exploring mistakes to get great results.

1. Take Calculated Risks—leave no stone unturned as you search for the next great idea or suggestion that will improve the business performance of your organization. Don’t let your fear of making a mistake stop you. Have a passion for discovering and creating your own opportunities to demonstrate leadership.

   Sometimes your ideas will get the desired response and sometimes they won’t. Do your homework and hone your knowledge of what it takes to be successful in your organization. You will then become more willing to step out of your comfort zone to take the calculated risks that will allow you to become known for being a "thought leader" within your organization.

2. Learn to Trust Your Gut Instincts—by this time in your career, no one should know better than you what you are capable of achieving. If you believe you have what it takes to make things happen and get results, go with your instincts even if you make mistakes along the way. Mistakes only come from taking some type of action. With the knowledge you have in your area of expertise, you already have a starting chance of 50 percent of being right about your idea.

3. Let Go of the Fear of Consequences—learn to accept that at times despite all of your hard work and preparation, your idea may still fail. Before you launch your idea, consider all the things that could happen if you fail. If you have properly thought through how your great ideas will help your organization, your list of consequences should be minimal. Think about it.

   Nobody likes to fail, so rather than do nothing to make yourself stand out in the crowd, consider all the things that can go wrong and put a contingency plan in place. You won’t initially have all the answers but you will learn from the experience and know what to do different next time. What’s stopping you from moving forward with speaking up about your great ideas?

4. Partner with a Coach—working with a coach to brainstorm and challenge your ideas prior to implementation will go a long way in ensuring your ideas will be accepted. If you would like to talk with me about how you can be a more effective leader by being willing to make mistakes, give me a call. We can discuss innovative ways to help you reach your career goals faster.

Deborah Chambers Chima is passionate about assisting her clients with achieving their professional goals. Prior to launching her consulting and coaching firm, she achieved an award winning, twenty four year tenure in corporate management in the retail industry, in both international and domestic markets. Her clients appreciate her attention to detail and her desire to assist others in improving their productivity.

To learn more about Deborah, please visit her website at www.chambersconsult.com.