In my experience, people really respect somebody who can admit their mistakes and confront a situation honestly.

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Americans like people who come clean, who step up and admit their mistakes, take their medicine, and move on.

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It is difficult for management to admit their mistakes (they are human, and we are not good at that), and for the board to fire current management while the company is increasing its revenues and earnings.

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Burleigh answered that the Italian police investigating Kercher's murder made mistakes and that heavy media attention after Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who was also convicted, made it hard for the police to admit their mistakes and put their investigation back on a fair and correct path.

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"They admit to their mistakes, and I admire that because I know a lot of people on the outside who don't, " she said.

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Critics may dismiss that answer as away-day workshop speak - but supporters of the shift to PCCs say elected commissioners could prevent police forces from closing ranks when they need to admit to their mistakes.

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The trend, coined by global trend monitoring firm TrendWatching, describes companies embraced by customers for their authenticity, humanity and willingness to admit mistakes.

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Politicians become identified with their policies, and it's hard for them to admit mistakes.

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