Most leaders think being right is a strength — or even a job requirement. But what if that instinct to be right is actually making you less effective? What if it’s the very thing that keeps teams stuck, creativity sidelined, and collaboration surface-level?
When I talk about leadership, one of the biggest blind spots I see isn’t a lack of passion or commitment — it’s the fear of being wrong. It’s the belief that being right equals credibility, and being wrong equals weakness. This turns leadership into a defensive posture instead of a generative one.
Here’s the thing: leaders who are obsessed with being right are usually afraid of something deeper — fear. Fear of being looked at as uninformed. Fear of losing control. Fear that if they’re wrong once, they’re not worth following anymore.
But that’s not leadership — that’s protectionism.
Perfectionism often springs out of the same place — it’s not about excellence, it’s about not being wrong. In fact, a lot of perfectionism is simply fear in a designer suit. It looks polished, but it’s still fear. And fear limits growth, slows decision-making, and shuts out voices that could make the leader stronger.
Now let’s bring this into the practice of leadership:
Urgency Doesn’t Always Mean Right Now
One of the most powerful moves a leader can make is to slow down. Not because the work is unimportant, but because quality depends on clarity. When everything feels urgent, we default to the loudest, fastest ideas — not the best for the long term.
If you slow the discussion, you give space for more thoughtful voices — especially those who may not speak up instantly in a brainstorming session. And guess what? Those voices often hold the ideas that bridge the gap between good and great.
Right Is a Destination, but Leadership Is a Process
Being right assumes a finish line. Leadership doesn’t have one. Leadership is like curing concrete, not drying paint — a continual process of change, bonding, stress, relief, and refinement. The job isn’t to arrive at perfect decisions; it’s to evolve them over time.
Assessment Over Judgment
Here’s the real distinction:
- Judgment says: “That was wrong.”
- Assessment says: “What worked, what didn’t, and what do we refine?”
Assessment doesn’t demean people. It leverages learning. And that’s how teams grow, trust each other, and take ownership of the outcomes they’re building together.
So if being right is your leadership north star, maybe it’s time to replace it with something more constructive:
- Be curious before being certain.
- Value refinement over perfect answers.
- Elevate the team’s learning, not your correctness.
Leadership isn’t about being right — it’s about guiding the team forward together, even through uncertainty. And that’s far more effective than any single right answer.
Photo by Ricardo Arce on Unsplash
