Skip to main content

12 Awkward Moments in Leadership and Life

By October 18, 2011Funny, Leadership

Have you ever had an awkward moment in leadership? I’ve had plenty. In fact, I’ve done all of these on this list.

Here are a dozen awkward moments in leadership:

  • Selfishly holding out for your way only to be proven wrong
  • Tweeting publicly what was supposed to be a private direct message
  • Sticking your neck out for someone and they betray you behind your back
  • Doing an introduction and mispronouncing the name
  • Beginning a presentation before you realize you’re unzipped
  • Speaking before you think and sticking your foot in your mouth
  • Calling someone by the wrong name
  • Replying to an email with confidential information rather than forwarding it
  • Not realizing the microphone is on 🙂
  • Placing the wrong month on the calendar and missing an important appointment
  • Mistakenly walking into the wrong bathroom minutes before you stand up to speak
  • Getting frustrated with the driver of a car you didn’t now was driving to meet with you

Which of these have you done?

What’s the most awkward moment you’ve had in leadership or have heard of another leading having?

Related Posts

Ron Edmondson

Author Ron Edmondson

More posts by Ron Edmondson

Join the discussion 9 Comments

  • Gary Forsyth says:

    While announcing a church picnic and swimming party I made the statement that "I'll be there too, in my birthday suit" I realy ment to say bathing suit.

  • The list was really hilarious. I have had experiences often people calling someone by the wrong name.

  • Che says:

    I did a wedding and called the bride by the wrong name… twice!

    • ronedmondson says:

      Ha! I actually did that too once. She corrected me. It happened to be her twin sisters name

  • Jeremy
    Twitter:
    says:

    So this car pulled out in front of me on the way to church. I was a little late and became angry. I may have been following too close. As we neared the church, my wife and I realized these people were visiting and were turning into our church parking lot. Well, at a church of 70 people, you can’t really hide. So when they turned into church, we kept on driving.

  • ronedmondson says:

    I am too. My wife is great. I think it has to be a discipline

  • I am terrible with names. Being a church plant, we meet a lot of new people every week. I have "introduced" myself to people four times before I remember them. It's humiliating. And after 6 years, I am only marginally better at it.