The number one rule of hole digging is simple: “when you are in a hole, STOP DIGGING!”

I have observed people dig deeper and deeper when they find themselves in a hole. However, digging more will not help your situation—the damage is already done. Nervously talking more about it will not improve your situation either. Close your mouth, stop typing, and start planning how to get out of the hole while you are still just in a hole before it becomes a cavern.

To be successful, we need to take some risks and chances when opportunities arise. This means that we will sometimes be wrong. It is okay to be wrong, but how we deal with it shows people what kind of leader we are. We need to recognize when it happens, admit we are wrong, apologize if necessary, and move on.

What we don’t do is continue to double down on the incorrect statement trying to bolster it. Making a mistake is part of being a leader. It’s no big deal. Not knowing how to confess or refusing to accept that you are wrong is a big deal. If you dig yourself into a hole, don’t make it a bigger hole. Stop digging and simply step out of it before it becomes too deep to climb out.