I come from a family in which forgiveness abounds but apologies are much less common. In fact, my younger brother owns and proudly wears a t-shirt that says “I MAY BE WRONG BUT I DOUBT IT…” (Just for the record, that doesn’t even come close to an apology.)

Everyone knows someone who has trouble apologizing. Maybe you don’t need to look any further than your bathroom mirror to find someone like that.

But if you want to be the kind of manager who makes a positive difference in the lives of your employees and cultivates a culture of transparency and trust, you will benefit from becoming a master of the comprehensive apology.

And if you want to motivate the kind of calculated risk taking that inspires innovation, growth and top performance, you will need to be generous with forgiveness.

Listen in as Larry Sternberg and I bust a few myths (like apologizing makes you look weak) and share specific ideas and strategies for apologizing and forgiving in ways that maximize trust and loyalty to your leadership.

On all our podcasts and blog posts, you have an opportunity to talk back to us through comments and emails. We hope to hear from you! Until next time, manage to make a difference every day!

This post highlights Chapters 9 and 10 of Managing to Make a Difference (Wiley), a handbook for hitting the sweet spot of middle management. Next up: Cultivate a Great Relationship with Your Boss. Connect with Kim Turnage and Larry Sternberg on LinkedIn to see the latest blog updates.