“Lord, when we are wrong, make us willing to change. And when we are right, make us easy to live with.”~Peter Marshall
I don’t know when I’m tougher to be around, when I’m wrong or when I’m right. I suppose you’d have to ask those who live and work with me on a daily basis to get an honest answer.
Perhaps you’ve noticed how stubborn many of us can be when we’re wrong. Or how scared. Somehow we’ve been convinced that being wrong is bad – that it’s better to always be right and never make mistakes. This is virtually impossible, and yet we cling to it. We refuse to admit when we’ve misstepped; we refuse to change our path when we’re off course. Hey, many of us even refuse to ask for directions.
When we’re right…well, you wouldn’t want to be around us then either. While we may not admit your rightness when we’re wrong, we can somehow bring our rightness into every conversation. There seems to be a reason to remind everyone of how right we are and have always been.
A great leader – of an organization, team, or family – is someone who can admit when they’re wrong, and be gracious when they’re right. This is the person you want to have around you at all times. This is someone you can trust, someone who is usually a joy to be with.
Notice your reactions when you’re wrong and/or right, and aim for the responses you would like to have. Admit your wrongness and learn from your mistakes. Let your rightness be evident on its own and leave it alone.
This one I’m right about.
When are you unwilling to change when you’re wrong? When are you awful to be around when you’re right?
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For support in admitting when you’re wrong, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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