Do you believe that you have great ideas? Do you think that your point of view is right and other people are wrong? It’s great to be confident, but it’s important to note that we sabotage our leadership and professional growth when we believe that we have all the answers and see no need to gather more information and facts. When we are convinced that our ideas are the best ideas, we then refuse to entertain other points of view. We hire homogeneous teams that don’t challenge us, and we consistently seek out like-minded people to confirm our beliefs.
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We build a protective wall to hold dear our point of view. We read articles and books that validate that we’re right. We may even become self-righteous in our opinions and then this self-righteousness becomes our mindset. We are blinded to other ideas and concepts that will help us grow professionally and personally. And yes, maybe we listen to others but it’s superficial because deep down we are so set in our ways that we can’t absorb their wisdom. We are always looking for validation that we’re right and most of the time this is subconscious. This belief, this notion that we have all the answers, threatens our leadership and the viability of our business.
One of my clients, who is a COO at a healthcare company, called me the other day after a leadership team meeting with her CEO. She has become increasingly frustrated with him because he always has to be right and have the last word even if it takes the company in the wrong direction. He will listen to the opinions of the executive team but he doesn’t really listen. He just wants validation that his ideas are the best, and those people who say “yes” to him on a consistent basis, are the people who get promoted. Those who voice their opinion otherwise are demoted. The future of the company is at stake under his leadership!
Read the full article on Forbes.com.
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