Early in my career I knew everything.
At 23 years old, I was brilliant. At least I thought I was. And the older I got, the more experience I gained, the more convinced I became that I was right about most things.
I was wrong about that too.
Here’s what I’ve learned. You don’t grow when you’re right. You just confirm what you already know. Being right feels good but it doesn’t move you forward.
Being wrong is where the real learning happens. Wrong about how to handle a tough conversation. Wrong about what your team needed. Wrong about the call you made on a Friday afternoon that you had to walk back on Monday morning.
Those moments are uncomfortable. Nobody likes being wrong, especially in front of the people they lead.
But, a leader who can say ‘I got that wrong, here’s what I’m doing differently’ is a leader people actually trust. Not because they’re perfect, but because they’re honest. That’s what vulnerability in leadership actually looks like.
You don’t learn anything from being right.
Embrace being wrong. It means you’re still growing.
Grab the free Lead Like Jim Checklist at the link below. Four leadership habits you can start this week.
Or pick up the full book at lucasmcalpin.com/leadership-fable/
Want more like this? Start with Chapter One of my book.
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