08/07/2025

Earn Your Second Chance

Earn a second chance by apologizing and seeking to set things right

A good number of senior executives with whom I have worked have told me that at some point in their early careers, a senior colleague or maybe a boss pulled them aside and gave them some frank advice: If you don't stop behaving so entitled, you will end up out on your ear. And fortunately for them – and those they would one day manage – they listened. They received a second chance and made the most of it.

We all love stories of second chances because, so often, they turn out well. Or at least the stories we know are positive. Why? The person who got a second chance learned from their mistake and came to understand that when leading others, you need to find ways to elevate them, not denigrate them.

Second chances are often rooted in the concept of redemption. To be redeemed, you need to acknowledge what you have done wrong and accept the consequences of your actions. Often, you need to apologize to those you have harmed and find ways to make amends. Failure to acknowledge misdeeds undermines self-growth.

Please select this link to read the complete article from SmartBrief.