The Role of Forgiveness in Leadership

A few weeks ago, something happened that reminded me how central forgiveness is to strong leadership—not just as a personal value, but as a professional competency.

Someone bypassed protocol to raise a concern, and in doing so, brought with them frustration, intensity, and a tone that made it hard to hear their message.

I’ll be honest—at first, I was bothered. Not just by the intensity of the exchange, but by the decision to sidestep the normal process. It caught me off guard. And for a moment, I found myself wrestling with the very tension I coach others through:
Do I center the misstep or the human behind it?