Achieved Strategies

Business is powered by relationships.  Effective leaders know this and build and maintain relationships based on this simple truth.  A wise leader knows that relationships aren’t a means to an end, but an enjoyable part of building, growing a business/organization.

Yet, as humans were are fallible.  We often stray from doing what is wise and act in ways that deplete relationships.  One such act is the insistent need to be right.

This is the opposite view from Part 1 of this post where I focused on a red flag of making others wrong – Should Language.  The need to be right is the same ugly behavior.

Just like making others wrong, the need to be right can stifle collaboration, can freeze creativity, stagnate teams, and suck the joy out of a relationship – professional or personal.

Here are some sure-tell signs that the need to be right is depleting your relationships.

• Constantly pointing out minor (trivial) facts or observations from others that position you in a positive way.

• You hear from others, “You don’t listen to me.”

• The need to get the last word in when you disagree with an approach.

• You’ve let mistakes another has made become your default for how you view his/her work: “She made a mistake in the past and she’ll do it again.  I don’t have time for mistakes.”

• Your expectations of others are so high that they can’t meet them.  You believe it’s easier to do the work yourself.  It’s better anyways, right?

What do you do if your need to be right is depleting your relationships?  You address it head-on.

• Ask those close to you if they’ve observed this tendency in you?  But be sure to ask those who are honest with you.

• When collaboration is needed or best, ask others how they’d like to contribute.  Identify strengths of others and be prepared to suggest they contribute in a manner that utilizes their talents best.

• Be consistent in whatever you do to counter the need to be right.  People will begin to notice.

• And if you’re bold, admit to teams you’re on or the one you lead that you’ve become really aware of how the need to be right impacts the team. Enlist their help.  This is by far the riskiest for some of you, but it also has the highest payoff.