The fear of failure may describe someone as great, but also leaves no room for growth. I believe that leadership is not always about the image or having all the answers. As MG Combs mentioned last week, you don’t aim for your subordinates to be like you, but to be themselves. I also believe that failure is one of the best learning tools despite the stigma attached to it. From my past experiences, I’ve seen many leadership styles that impose perfection. When I was a PFC, my squad leader always pointed out what I was doing wrong even on the smallest details, and that he’s always right. It was understandable in the beginning especially that every step of our work as aircraft technicians is critical. We kept following what he told us to do, until we found out from a manual that we’ve been doing something incorrectly. He was unwilling to accept that what he taught us was wrong and blamed it on us instead.
I’ve also seen this from my dad who was a general manager at a power plant. He’s a perfectionist; he’s afraid to make mistakes, so was his subordinates. Nobody questions him, because their fear of failure became their fear towards him. I think that it is essential for leaders to be vulnerable on times that they feel uncertain. Vulnerability shows openness, not weakness. I think this would allow the subordinates to genuinely trust their leader, rather than someone who only barks orders and silences his/her subordinates. Lastly, leading by example is a good principle to live by, but this doesn’t mean that leaders have to project a perfect image at all times; because I believe that having no fear of failure and showing vulnerability is something the subordinates would rather see and appreciate.