One of the fastest ways to make bad decisions is to get emotionally attached to being right.
In business, we do it constantly:
- “My people don’t care.”
- “Customers only want cheap.”
- “That market is dead.”
- “We can’t hire anyone good.”
Sometimes those statements are true. Often they’re just stories that feel true because we’re tired.
A better stance is the scout mindset: curiosity over certainty.
What scout mindset sounds like
- What would I need to see to change my mind?
- What else could be true?
- If I’m wrong, where would it show up first?
- What’s the simplest test we can run?
This is not being soft. It’s being accurate.
Accurate leaders make money. Certain leaders make speeches.
What to do this week
- Take one “obvious truth” you believe about your business and challenge it.
- Define one measurable test that could prove or disprove it.
- Run the test within seven days.