When it’s too difficult to change your mind

When it’s too difficult to change your mind

Some years ago, I watched an intelligent, experienced management team steer their company into insolvency. It wasn't because they lacked ability, information or even an understanding of what was happening. They could see the problem unfolding. The missing ingredient was the courage to admit they were wrong.

Fortunately, this was only a simulation. So the interesting question isn't what happened. It's why.

It was a 3-day simulation, run as an assessment centre where participants were observed by professional observers and their own VPs against the company’s competency framework. And while all participants were part of a high potential programme, the VPs were clearly shopping for talent. The pressure never let up. During lunch, one participant remarked that it felt as though they were even being assessed on how they held their cutlery.

A few rounds into the simulation, it became obvious that one team's approach was failing.

We could see it.

The observers could see it.

And listening to the team’s discussions, it was clear that they could see it too.

So we waited, confident that they would change direction.

They didn’t.

The losses kept mounting. And still they ploughed on.

By the final round, their business was insolvent.

I’d never seen this happen before.

I asked one of the team members afterwards about it and the response was revealing.

They knew things were going wrong, but they were being observed and they didn’t want to admit it. For each individual, it was important to appear confident and decisive. And they each hoped they could keep kicking the can down the road.

Perhaps leadership isn't about always being right. Maybe it's about recognising when you're no longer right, changing course, and creating an environment where changing your mind is seen as strength rather than weakness.