Yes, I know. Realizing you are wrong does not feel good at all! Most likely as as a leader, a decision-maker, you can hardly stand the thought of not being right. At the beginning of the year, many try to think how to do what is right in the new year. I usually don't hear anybody including in their objectives for the new year, "be wrong more often."
Nevertheless, being wrong is a vital part of how we learn and change. Being wrong is many times the only path to success. As Seth Godin says, wrong is the cost you have to pay on the way to being right.
Why being wrong is good for you
Being wrong:
- Reminds you that you are human.
- Is an opportunity to discover new truths.
- Is a learning experience.
- Is the cradle of innovation.
- Is the only way you can learn to be right.
If you have 17 minutes you can spare, watch a TED talk by Kathryn Schulz titled: “On being wrong.” She makes a good case for how much you can learn from being wrong.
I spent most of my freshman year of college being wrong. I had come to the USA to study without knowing any English. In the process of learning a new language my mistakes were many. Yet, I was persistent knowing that the only way I was going to conquer the new language was by overcoming my aversion to make mistakes. I had to take the risk of speaking and writing in an imperfect way. I learned by being wrong and corrected many times. Now that I look back, I can laugh about many of my mistakes. But at the time it was painful!
Through that early experience I learned to embrace being wrong. Learning from being wrong was the only way to increase my odds of being right in the future. I also learned that most people are helpful in coaching you through your mistakes.
What matters
Being wrong doesn’t really matter. Wrong can be right. It’s only because of wrong, because of change from the norm, that change and innovation happen.
If you think about it, many of the “right” theories of the past have come to need revision, or a total overhaul! We consider many of them wrong today. Yet, they were the seed that got us thinking in a different way and opened the space for more. And in the future, I’m sure what we consider “right” today will end up being “wrong.”
So what?
What matters is to keep your curiosity alive.
What matters is to do the best you can right now, without letting the fear of looking foolish stop you.
What matters is not to get stuck on being right and stop scrutinizing your thoughts, actions, and reactions.
Because, being stuck is worse than being wrong!
Remember. . .
Being wrong is not fatal. It is a precious opportunity. You will not grow or discover anything new if you have to be right all the time.
Dare to be wrong and you will keep climbing higher planes of success. You might not be there yet, but if you dare to be wrong, you will be closer today than you were yesterday.
I can help you learn from being wrong and to create an environment at work where being wrong is not punished. If you want to be a leader that encourages creativity and innovation, click here to reserve a 1/2 hour free consultation to learn how you can become that type of leader.
Photo by: raketentim.