A consulting client recently asked me, “Isn’t it the leader’s job to be right? Shouldn’t the leader be right?” Well, not always.
Significant leaders understand that they’re not always right. In fact, pushing the point that you are right at the risk of discounting or humiliating someone else can be destructive.
You see, the question you have to ask yourself is, what am I looking for here? Am I looking to be right, or am I looking for a right result? I’ve reached a point in my life that if I know I’m right (I mean, I KNOW I’m right.), but proving I’m right will discount or humiliate or even make someone else feel bad – if it is not a battlefield issue for me. If it does not affect someone’s safety or impugn my integrity, I’ll walk away with people thinking I’m wrong – rather than discount, humiliate, or make someone else look or feel bad. There is never a time or situation if you discount, demean or humiliate another person that you will end up with the approval of everyone involved. While it is more commonplace over the past decade to insult, abuse and make fun of others who are different than one’s self, such behavior will always be offensive to those who choose to be significant.
Significant leaders know that the right result is what’s important. Furthermore, if the right result is achieved, does it matter who was right? Only you can decide that.
Read Lauren’s Whitepaper on The Nine Essentials of Significant Leadership.