I invested 9.5 years of my life in East Africa. I lead teams to build the first permanent building on the Bavuma Island of Lake Victoria, Uganda, East Africa. I have shared leadership across the globe with John Maxwell’s EQUIP and I am the better for it. I have seen my share of water crisis in and throughout East Africa, never did I believe such a crisis would emerge in the USA, let alone in Flint, Michigan.

Tonight I listened to a leader who with a pure heart pursued the governor’s office in Michigan. However, his staff and others failed him. Tonight he owned his failure as a leader regarding the Flint, MI water crisis and swore to fix the problem.

It is in that context I write this piece.

How does a leader recover?

People have invested the most significant procession they own in a person, their trust, their belief and via a set of circumstances, the perfect storm if you will, that trust dissipates faster than a vapor.

Let me share how I believe a leader can recover his position of influence and credibility.

A leader recovers by:

1. Owning the mistakes that were made, regardless by whom. The leader can deal with who under performed internally but externally, as Harry Truman said, the buck stops here. The ultimate responsibility falls to every true leader and they embrace it.
2. The leader stays solution oriented, even though everyone else is blame fixated. This is hard, especially on family members but it is right and necessary. Discipline is the key.
3. Fix the problem, whatever is necessary. Put the resources together to address the critical issue.
4. Deal with what and who went wrong internally. If they failed you at the most critical juncture, they proved their incompetence. Remove, Replace and Retire whomever. Don’t lose sight, make sure accountability is in place.
5. Do not allow the next crisis or tyranny of the urgent problem to consume you to the point you forget what recently cost you credibility. History does not forget nearly as quickly as we do.
6. Tell what you know, when you knew it. It is hard, often embarrassing but this is large part of the essence of who you are and who you will have to live with the rest of your life. Sacrifice this for no one or no reason.
7. Never surrender what is morally correct for what is politically expedient. It doesn’t work or last.
8. Life is often hard, leadership on occasion is extremely difficult. Do not pursue leadership until you have counted the cost it takes to lead. Because every leader faces this type of challenge during their tenure as chief influencer.