Leaders can forgive without forgetting

When an employee crosses an ethical line, it is wholly appropriate to terminate that person. But it might also be an opportunity for forgiveness.

That's what happened to Tim Goeglein, former aide to President George W. Bush, who was caught plagiarizing a column for his hometown newspaper, something he had done twice previously. As reported by CNN.com and as described in his book, Man in the MIddle: An Inside Account of Faith and Politics in the George W. Bush Era, Goeglein resigned from the administration to save it further embarrassment.

What Goeglein did not expect was a meeting with the president in the Oval Office. Goeglein tried to apologize but Bush interjected, "I have known mercy and grace in my own life, and I am offering it to you now. You are forgiven." The two have stayed in touch.

Forgiveness is not limited to those who abide by principles of their faith; it is something that everyone, certainly everyone in a position of authority, should abide. To forgive is not to forget, nor is it to excuse. Goeglein lost his job and was labeled as a cheat. But as the saying goes, "To err is human; to forgive, divine."

Forgiveness is also a sign of strength, especially coming from a leader. It signifies that you are above the fray. You don't hold grudges. It also is an acknowledgement of vulnerability. To forgive another is to hold close the notion that none of us is perfect.

Striving for perfection in fact can lead us astray. No, I am not talking about ethical transgressions. What's wrong is wrong and stays that way. But if you strive never to make a mistake, that may be a mistake. It may lead you to hold others to standards they cannot attain. And worse, you do the same to yourself. Only misery can result from such impossible expectations.

Better to think about what is possible as well as attainable, and that begins with the human heart. Consider how many times in your life someone -- a teacher, a coach or likely a parent -- has given you a break. Think about a time when someone could have really busted you and your career for messing up.

A favorite story in this regard is one told about Charles Elachi, since 2001 head of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Two missions to Mars crashed upon landing. The program chiefs made a visit to Elachi to offer their resignations. Elachi replied that letting them go would waste the $400 million JPL had spent educating them.

Elachi understood that the chiefs could learn from their mistakes, and he gave them the opportunity to continue in their roles. The chiefs held their positions, and subsequent missions were successful.

There are times when serious mistakes, especially ethical lapses, deserve punishment, but regarding all mistakes as equal is misguided. Redemption is possible, and that is why leaders would do well to think long term about what can be learned from a mistake and how that lesson might help the organization grow and develop.

Forgiveness can be conditional. Ethical transgressions may require restitution, but mistakes require something else -- a commitment to learn from what went wrong and resolve to implement those lessons.

"Forgiveness," said Indira Gandhi, "is a virtue of the brave." Courage emerges from the strength of one's convictions as well as in the faith in self and others to do better.