STRONG LEADERS AREN’T AFRAID OF BEING WRONG

Dear Alexandre
Thanks for this question

I would say that any sensible person is aware that he makes mistakes, recognizes them and is willing to learn and change

A strong leader does not lose focus on his purpose (Mandela, Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi) despite being told they are wrong :-)

A strong leader aligns their behaviors and attitudes with the principles that govern humanity

Alexandre -

I believe we have two responsibilities in this regard:

1. Create a culture where experimentation is natural - emphasize psychological safety.

2. Model experimentation with those who report to us or work for us. For example, if someone has an idea, rather than spending tons of time analyzing/paralyzing, challenge them to construct an experiment to test the merits of the idea and provide the support and funding for that experiment.

Kiron

Dear Alexandre,
the only way to learn is going ahead, never be afraid to be wrong there is always someone to flag or correct and need to be accepted positively
thanks
Hamid

Alexandre,

Have you taken a walk on the wild side and joined the clandestine few that have actually read one of my articles :)

Thank you for highlighting one of my favorite counterintuitives. “Practice being wrong” – absolutely. Project managers should create opportunities and atmospheres that are inviting to the idea of “being wrong for the sake of determining that which is right.” When a leader admits they are wrong, others recognize they have the freedom to do the same and an atmosphere of challenge-based thought is created. This occurs as the verbalizing of thoughts and ideas are no longer constrained to the fear of being wrong. And when fear is vanquished, barriers fall down.

So, to take this counterintuitive full circle, adopt the following motto: Being wrong is the new right – then again, maybe not.

George,

Thank you for sharing your opinion. I liked a lot yours post last sentence, you are open the door to new discussions :) or maybe not.

Alexandre

Being wrong is the best tool for developing a plan that everyone will buy into.

I often encounter situations where a team has a complicated problem, and they don't know how to develop a comprehensive plan. Coaching them to build a plan from a blank piece of paper can prove problematic. What I do then is get enough information from them to develop my own plan based on my own knowledge of planning and ignorance of their work.

They might not be able to tell me what a good plan looks like, but I assure you that they will tell me everything wrong with the plan I handed them, and from their many criticisms, we will develop a good plan, and they will feel they own it much more than my original straw-man plan.

It requires thick skin. Difficult stakeholders may think I don't know the subject matter. Others see how I was clever in how I handled difficult stakeholders to get us un-stuck from complaining to planning. Ultimately, I have a plan that everyone and their bosses will agree upon.

It's straight out of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War". You present them with a battle, and anticipate their escape route. Your real plan is to get them to take the escape route.

Alexandre

You will never be right and solid, if you were never wrong. It’s good to be wrong as long as you learn from your own mistakes. It’s all about inspection and adaption.

RK