(Photo credit: Virginia Sherwood/NBC)

NBC News anchor Brian Williams has been recognized as one of “the most trusted journalists of our time.” His viewing audience knows “his values, his continuing recognition of everyday heroes, and they trust him to help them make sense of the world.”

It’s not been a good week for the number one news anchor on network television. It’s understandable to misremember what he ordered at a restaurant last month. It’s more difficult to imagine the fog of time clouding whether he was in a helicopter hit by rocket fire.

Should Williams be fired for this violation of trust? That’s up to NBC News management. There are consequences for making mistakes in any job. Get a little angry at work and yell at some folks? Let work fall through the cracks often enough to develop a reputation? Get caught playing online during the workday? These are just a few examples of mistakes that can get you fired.

Trust is crucial for any leader, not just news anchors. It’s not clear how Williams recovers from this, especially with allegations of other fabrications.

But let’s bring this from the television screen to you and me. Science finds plenty of evidenceto suggest that we humans misremember more than we’d like to admit. And it’s not just an immoral few. This is not at all to suggest we give Williams a pass on his conflating of facts. But knowing that we have a tendency to explain things in ways that make us feel good about ourselves can at least keep us a bit more humble as the accusations fly.

When We’re in the Hot Seat

In business as well as in life, it’s not just what we do—it’s also how we react to what we do.

A friend was slapped with a frivolous lawsuit years ago. His lawyer warned him, “You’re innocent right now. But if you’re not careful, you can easily respond in a way that gets you in trouble.”

That’s good advice for when (not if) you and I screw up. Chances are we won’t be caught exaggerating about escaping death in a helicopter, but our next mistake is nonetheless around the corner. The way we respond can make all the difference.

Here are five ideas to keep in mind:

Call for help. Too often we try to fix things ourselves. The idea is that if we hide the bodies long enough, so to speak, the problem will go unnoticed. One of the first steps of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is to call for help, and that’s good advice when we’ve made a big enough mistake. Don’t try to tackle the problem on your own. Keep your management in the loop.

Get low. When we’re in the wrong, it’s tempting to come up with excuses in an attempt to explain why you’re not to blame. One of my favorite senior leaders suggests a different approach: “get low”. That phrase is his way of suggesting that humility goes a long way in starting to fill in the hole instead of digging it deeper. Parents understand this. We typically change our approach when it’s clear a child shows they understand what they did wrong (as opposed to just getting caught). Though there may be some cultural exceptions to this advice, sincere humility is almost always the right place to start.

Don’t blame others. Part of getting low is taking responsibility. In my post on Pete Carroll’s fateful play call that lost the Super Bowl for his team, I pointed out how he took responsibility for the decision. He didn’t throw his offensive coordinator under the proverbial bus. He didn’t complain about his receiver’s lack of aggressiveness or how his quarterback should have thrown lower. When you take responsibility, people see that you get it, which is an important step toward getting beyond the mistake.

Don’t make it worse. Brian Williams eventually gave an on-air apology. Some of the people involved in his Iraq incident were satisfied with it. Yet it seemed to create even more questionsbecause he didn’t exactly set the record straight. When you get low and accept responsibility, it’s still possible to try to put yourself in the best light. Attribution theory says we try to explain the world in ways that make us look or feel good. Watch out for that temptation. Acknowledge what you did wrong, clear the record if necessary, and apologize. It’s completely possible to make it worse by appearing insincere or giving an incomplete version of the story.

Be part of the solution. Mistakes provide many opportunities for lessons learned. How can you and others avoid this misstep in the future? Offer to make amends and be part of the solution in some way. This moves the conversation from excuses to what should we do about it.

Not Just a Brian Williams Issue

Years ago, I was hired as an executive coach to help a senior leader not get fired. John* made a questionable decision that exposed his organization to financial and legal liability. It was not a characteristic mistake for him and he was a valued leader. Yet the mistake was big enough that it could not be ignored.

In the initial days after the mistake, John tried to fix it himself. That may sound like being part of the solution, but in doing so, he didn’t keep his senior leadership in the loop so they were blindsided. This made the initial violation even worse.

When his senior leadership got involved, John didn’t get low. He was defensive—even accusatory. He was convinced that he was being unfairly targeted. His version of the story dripped with attribution theory.

I wish the story had a happy ending. After weeks of effort, I recommended that John be released from his job. As a leader once told me, “A person has to see it. If they can’t see it, they have to hear it.” John clearly didn’t see it and he wasn’t hearing it.

We’ll find out in the days ahead how NBC News handles Brian Williams. But I’m more concerned about you and me. When we inevitably make mistakes in the days ahead, start by getting low. Don't hide the bodies--give the mistake visibility. Take responsibility. Be sincere. And help make the next steps easier by being part of the solution.

What lessons have you learned about how to react to a mistake? What do you agree with in this article? Disagree with? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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