I have watched and lived the last 100 days as the real estate world has changed (possibly long term) due to the COVID crisis. For the lodging, leisure and travel industry, it has been devastating. It has been devastating because as my friend Dave Akridge likes to say, it is unprecedented.

The one thing I have yet to see or hear is anyone standing up and admitting they were possibly at fault for poor decisions. Everyone it seems wants to blame someone else or something else and nowhere (so far) is the person who simply says, “I was wrong, and it is my fault.”

I remember when I was starting out in the restaurant business and was the director over seven Mrs. Winners that were converting to Wendy’s. I oversaw all operations and the entire construction process. As a young man, it was a little daunting.

I remember once we converted the Ga Tech location to a Wendy’s and the very first month, our cost and expenses were way out of line, and we lost money. The investors I worked for were all sitting around the table and ready to hand me my hat. They expected me (like most people) to blame the situation on this or that event etc. as the reason for the loss. They were so mad they were red faced. I looked at them and told them it was all my fault and if they wanted to fire me, I would understand.

Their steam and anger just went poof and they didn’t know what to say. I told them in detail where I needed to make changes and what the plan was. I left the meeting and they were satisfied on the plan. Had I refused to take blame; it probably would have ended very differently.

The point is, it is ok to take the blame if the mistake was in truth, your fault. It is really the only right answer. In life you will find that people will respect you more and put more confidence in you if they know you are honest. There are so many passages in the bible about this very subject it would take three pages to list them all. In psalms it is referenced as being upright with integrity. The fact is we all make mistakes and not admitting it, generally makes the mistake worse.

Whatever the situation, financial, business, family, relationships, jobs etc. people will think more you if you admit to being at fault. It makes you real, trustworthy, approachable and memorable. In short it tells them who you really are. The world needs more of this. KT