Right to Be Wrong

Knowing how to listen means being willing to accept and respond to what we’re told in an open and honest way. Otherwise, we’re simply closing the door to anything we don’t want to hear. With experience, I’ve come to realize that being able to defend your ideas is just as important as being willing to question them.

A culture of radical candor and open expression is meaningless—or even counterproductive—if the response is paternalism and condescension. If leadership always defends its positions with absolute certainty—“everything we’ve done, are doing, and will do is right”—what’s the point of allowing employees to express doubts?

Just like in The Emperor’s New Clothes, everyone ends up avoiding the obvious: the emperor is naked. If the message is that leadership is never wrong—that they wear garments only the “fools cannot see”—who will dare to speak up?

And going deeper, it’s not just about ideas and arguments—it’s about emotions too. Sometimes, we need to express anger, sadness, or frustration—and in those moments, we don’t need to be told why we shouldn’t feel that way. We simply need some validation: “I understand you’re angry”, “You have a right to feel frustrated”, “We all feel sad sometimes.”

A leader must know when to stand firm and when to yield; when to speak and when to listen.

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