The Art of a Genuine Apology: Why Sincerity Matters in Leadership

A note to young leaders.

On the occasionally necessary art of apology.

Never be afraid to apologise, it humanises you and makes you more relatable.

But equally, never apologise unless you mean it – your team can spot a phoney apology from a mile off.

An apology is not sincere if it contains the word “if”.

This is not a genuine apology: “I’m sorry if my comment hurt you. That was not my intent.” This comes across as: “I’m sorry that you misunderstood me and you’re being hyper-sensitive.”

This is what a genuine apology sounds like: “I’m sorry that I made that comment. It was indelicate and insensitive of me to do so. I won’t make that mistake again.”

It follows therefore that a leader disposed to frequent apologies is often insincere.