“You can either learn or be right, but you can’t do both.”
Why are human being obsessed with “Being Right”?
What is it that drives the natural human tendency to defend a previous decision, idea or action?
What is it that makes us want to fight the possibility that we are either incorrect or that we have made a mistake?
Creating awareness around the natural tendency to “Be Right” is a huge step in growing as a person and as a leader. Here are a few thoughts on why it so important to overcome this natural tendency:
1) The most dangerous part about “Being Right” is that the second your brain goes to that place, you are totally closed minded to creative thinking. Meaning your ability to learn is completely gone. This is why political pundits sound so stupid arguing with each other. They are more concerned about being right than they are about listening, asking thoughtful questions, learning and finding solutions.
2) Become friends with your mistakes and view each one as a critical learning experience. Make a habit of admitting mistakes or bad ideas with a smile. Instead of trying to be right, happily admit a mistake with excitement about what you learned from it.
3) Once you have overcome the obsession with being right, ask smart people to challenge your ideas and actions as part of a decision making process. When it’s time to make a decision, get several smart people in a room to discuss, debate and decide the best plan of action. Even the best ideas need to be appropriately challenged.
I challenge you to create awareness around your natural tendency to “Be Right”. Learn to admit mistakes with a smile. Lastly, create a habit of getting smart people to challenge even your best ideas.