A leader explained, “One reason I’ve been successful this year is I’ve been wrong a lot.”
One of the best ways to expand your leadership is by be wrong publicly.
When was the last time you were wrong?
Try saying:
- I sure missed that one.
- Oh, I’m sorry, I really screwed that up.
- Oh my, I thought I understood, but now I see I didn’t.
- Thanks for point out what I missed.
- Your input is changing the way I look at things.
- Gee, I thought I knew what was happening, but I made up my mind too quickly.
- Holy cow, I can’t believe I just said that. I hope you can forgive me.
3 advantage of being wrong:
#1. Learning
Anyone who doesn’t make mistakes already knows. And those who know can’t learn.
Learning is the iterative process of failure and improvement.
Learning leaders:
- Make decisions based on reasonable confidence they’re doing the right thing. (When you aren’t sure, make decisions that won’t cause harm.)
- Evaluate decisions. Did the decision produce the desired result?
- Repeat what worked well. What’s working? (Keep in mind that what worked in the past may not work now.)
- Adapt what might be improved. What might make this better?
- Reject what didn’t work. What isn’t working?
- Add new strategies. What might we try, that we haven’t tried yet?
- Repeat and learn.
#2. Improvement
Every improvement begins with imperfection.
You’re always “wrong” when there’s a better way to do things – and there’s always a better way.
- Reject the need to be right.
- Make space for others by saying, “I could be wrong.”
When you start defending you stop improving.
#3. Growth
Growth includes:
- Courage to risk failure.
- Honesty to own mistakes.
- Humility to learn from blunders.
- Resolve to begin again.
Ego stunts your growth and makes you dumb.
How might leaders expand their leadership by being wrong?
What advantages can you see from being wrong publicly?
