Do you want to be right or successful?

One of my friends often asks that question, especially around this time of year. Arguing a point to death — even if you know you’re right — may make you feel right, but it won’t make you be right. Nor will it make you successful. Leaders aren’t concerned with who is right. They’re concerned with what is right.

I once knew a very bright man who was a veritable bulldog about being right. He was almost always correct on the facts — which he would drive home with force of a sledgehammer. Unfortunately, being right didn’t make him successful with people. He might have felt some superior sense of intelligence or authority by defending every decision he made. But in the end, all he had was a reputation for just that: always insisting on being right. He was “hard-wired” that way, and it was difficult to break the habit.

The problem with insisting on being right (and usually winning) includes the hazard of being blind to those instances where you are wrong. You become careless, increasing the chances that you will make a major mistake, which could prove tragic.

I’m sure you’ve known people who insist on being right. Maybe you work with someone like this. Maybe you live with someone like this. Maybe you are someone like this.

Insisting on being right — even if you are — isn’t a good leadership strategy. It just shows your insecurities and stubbornness. It doesn’t make you successful. All it does is complicate your life and relationships.

At this time of year, there is no better strategy than to focus on being successful. It requires humility, and a focus on others. After all, there is nothing wrong with being right, unless it keeps you from success with those you love the most.

Tags: Advice, Business Development, Business Tips, Holidays, Humility, Leadership, Leadership Problems, Leadership Skills, Learning, Life Tips, Reality, Responsibility