You are not infallible. You make mistakes. It is an uncomfortable feeling, knowing you goofed. Many people try to avoid the sensation of being wrong by never speaking up, never standing up, never venturing into the unknown. They feel safe and secure at first, but as these actions — or lack of actions — become a habit, that security is replaced with regret. What was once simply uncomfortable now induces fear.
What if you get rejected? You will be humiliated if you are wrong. You have to be perfect.
Most rejection is not personal, but sometimes it is. It stings, but you can recover if you give yourself permission to heal.
When you have strong integrity, attacks to your self-respect and dignity are fruitless because you do not allow breaches.
You cannot be perfect. It is an illusion. You can be in a realm that is acceptable. There is a zone of “mostly right” that you can aim for. Do that.
Being wrong can hurt your pride — when it does, know that you are focused in the wrong direction. When you are wrong, you probably hurt someone else. Either you did not listen to them attentively, or you disregarded their emotions or beliefs. Apologize. Make amends if you can. Repair the damage. You will not always be forgiven for your error, but you will recover. You must if you want to get better at what you do.
Being wrong is inevitable. Stop fearing mistakes by managing better and leading well.
Also published on Medium.