Forgive. . .So That You Can Lead

Last week, in the HuffPost's Blog, Oprah Winfrey's entry was entitled, "Forgive. . .So You Can Truly Live."   The point is incredibly valid.  The holding of grudges, the desire for revenge and the stagnation of looking back at the past keeps us from living better lives.

Taking a cue from Ms. Winfrey, I would also suggest this:  Forgive. . .So You Can Truly Lead. 

I'm uncertain why often we separate what are good ideas in our personal lives from our professional personas.   Often a good idea at home is just as valid in the office, if not more so.  Forgiveness is such an example.

Yes, you may have been wronged.    Yes, you think it may be sweet to see revenge.   The problem is, it's not getting you any place and, in all likelihood, it's holding your team back as well.  The very idea of forgiveness is to let go of the past;   one of the key success factors in any business is the ability to move the work forward.  You can't very well accomplish both.    If you're focusing on the bad things that have happened to you, likely you aren't moving forward, or moving your team forward, to grow the business.

It isn't always a matter of forgiving others;  sometimes we really need the ability to forgive ourselves.  Nobody is perfect in the workplace.  We all make mistakes.   Sometimes I have found that it is extremely difficult for people to let go of their own errors and move on.   It is of paramount importance that you own the skill of  self-forgiveness and that you can coach your team in this ability as well.

And what if someone hasn't forgiven you?   It can be seen as "their problem."  Truth is, it's everybody's problem because their inability to let go ends up being a major block to teamwork.    If someone is holding a grudge against you, be sure that you have properly apologized, and if necessary, work through a longer process of talking it out and learning how to work together again.

Oprah's right (of course!).   Forgiveness should be a priority.   At home and at work.