“I could be wrong”

What are you wrong about?

Does it make you uncomfortable thinking about being wrong? It should. It’s not a fun feeling. However, completely avoiding the prospect of being wrong is going to hurt you more than help you in life.

Conscious Business: How To Build Value Through Values

I love this quote from the book Conscious Business by Fred Kofman, “the phrase ‘I could be wrong’ only comes from the learner’s mindset”. Meaning, the people who want to learn, to improve, to get better, understand that they may be wrong from time to time. The individual that believes they are never wrong is either delusional or just shitty to work with (or both!). We’ve always said around here that Nobaby likes a know-it-all. 

The book has many other great points on business, and not business school points that are obvious, no, this author knows there’s something bigger at stake when it comes to business.

On responsibility and choice:

“Responsibility means recognizing that you are the ultimate cause of your actions, that you have a choice, and that you can always choose to do what’s right.”

Short-term pain for long-term gain. When we first started StratLab, at the original office above Coda Clothing on, on a whiteboard we left this quote for months:

“I’d rather hit a homerun for free than to be paid to hit a single.”

Meaning, we’d rather do something we care about, that meant something to us, then to be paid to do someone else’s work that they don’t want to do.

Are you getting paid to hit singles? What does a homerun look like to you?

On integrity and success:

“Success without integrity is failure. Integrity is the integration of ideals, convictions, standards, beliefs—and behavior. When our behavior is congruent with our professed values, when ideals and practice match, we have integrity.”

My mentor in university told us the greatest attribute to have in business is integrity. Without it, you can be trusted with anything. Doing what you say you’re going to do. Following through. Never lie to people. It is rare in business to find honesty but try it sometime, you’ll stand out like a sore thumb in a good way.

On conscious leadership:

“Conscious leaders accept the world as it is, without trying to control it. They commit to their path, but they do not attach to the outcome.”

Trust the process, not the outcome. Much easier said than done. When it comes to getting better at golf or business, you must trust the process, not the outcome. What are the fundamentals you can focus on? What are milestones that you can celebrate?

On communication and understanding:

“Effective communication is not about sending the right message; it’s about ensuring the other person receives the intended meaning.”

How often are we communicating to check a box off, and not ensuring that the other party hears what we’re saying? Communication is getting more and more difficult with social media and how accessible people are. Don’t make the biggest mistake when communicating, assuming that it has happened.

On the role of conflict:

“Conflict is a natural occurrence in human relationships. Seeing conflict as an opportunity to learn and grow rather than something to avoid is a fundamental aspect of conscious business.”

Disagreeing with people isn’t a bad thing unless you’ve made it a habit in your life. In general, disagreeing can be seen as adversarial but instead of arguing with something, try to ensure they feel respected and listened to. Have you ever been in one of those fights where you’re just waiting for them to shut up so you can give your rebuttal? That was most of my childhood! HA! Stop that, listen to them, and reiterate what they’re trying to say to you in your own words.

Try to put yourself in their shoes. Sometimes you just need to inform them that they have been heard.

On accountability and growth:

“Being accountable is more than just being responsible for something—it’s also ultimately being answerable for your actions. To build a conscious business, you must take accountability for your impact on all stakeholders.”

Taking accountability for your actions is a mature thing to do. Kids don’t fess up when they break a toy, they will tell you that they “found” the toy broken. It’s the victim mentality. Fine if you are a 2-year-old, very bad if you are an adult.

Take Ownership

Adults take accountability for their actions. They don’t lie when they make mistakes, they own up to it and talk about how they will ensure it doesn’t happen again.

When you take agency over your problems they become solvable, when you blame others for your problems it feels hopeless because you honestly don’t think you could have changed anything.

Take ownership.