Fonzie Was W-R-O-N-G!!!

“Great leadership involves three things: the ability to realize when you are wrong, a willingness to learn from it, and an eagerness to change course if necessary.” – Jeff Fry

It is one of my favorite Happy Days episodes…

Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli, as portrayed by Henry Winkler, is the most popular guy in town… at least with the high school and college age boys who idolize him and most definitely with the girls. For that reason, Fonzie always seems to be right, except for the one time when he is not.

However, faced with the prospect of having to admit his mistake and apologize, Fonzie simply can’t get the words out. “I was wrrrr…” he says over and over again, literally choking on the word, “wrong”. Finally, he figures a way to apologize without saying the dreaded “W” word.

“I was not right,” Fonzie blurts out.

In today’s quote, Jeff Fry hits on the importance of being able to admit our mistakes. After all, no one is perfect and if we think we are, the only person we are fooling is ourselves, because everyone else knows the truth. So, why not just admit it and get it over with, right?

But it doesn’t stop there. Admitting our mistakes is one thing; learning from them – and not repeating them ad nauseam – is another. Some people manage that first part, but a relative few master the second… and an even smaller number arrive at the third.

Let me give you a prime example of someone who did…

My dad was the epitome of a self-made man. He served his country as a staff sergeant in the jungles of the South Pacific for three years during World War II and then came home, embarked on a career, got married, bought a house, started and raised a large family, and was a leader in our church. I guess you could say that he checked off all the appropriate boxes.

Then, in his early 50s, my dad heard the gospel and trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Doing so meant admitting that all the things he had accomplished during the first half-century of his life meant nothing as far as eternity was concerned. In describing his earlier life, my dad always said, “I wouldn’t have known Jesus Christ if I’d tripped over Him.”

However, now that he did know Jesus, my dad did a virtual 180-degree turn. Our family left the mainline denominational church we had faithfully attended for years and started attending an evangelical church where the Bible was preached week in and week out. His sometimes “colorful” language left him and was replaced with talk about Jesus, and he began to give generously to Christian causes.
That’s called owning up to your mistakes, learning from them, and applying those lessons appropriately and effectively… all because of Jesus.

Thanks for the great example, Dad!

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President