What do you do when evidence surfaces that you were wrong, you believed something in error, you were fooled or conned?
The two most common behaviors:
- Double-down on the original belief. “I didn’t follow an unscrupulous leader, she’s a genius and most people simply can’t see that.” “That threat wasn’t a hoax – our proactive steps meant it didn’t happen.”
- Rationalize that the blame lies entirely with others. “There’s no way I could have known that Nobel Prize winner in physics didn’t understand the gold market.” “He is PMI certified, so it’s not my fault that he ran the project into the ground.”
The least common behavior? Honest assessment based on facts, evidence, and outcomes – to purpose to be better next time.
I don’t have a consistent explanation for our frequent refusal to acknowledge we need to change something in ourselves.
Permission to be blunt? Grow up. Be the leader who acknowledges an error in judgment or being fooled. Own your part. Learn from your experiences – there is always an adventure of learning and adapting if you’re willing to take it. Model this for others.
