The Price of Tomorrow: Why Deflation is the Key to an Abundant Future

by Jeff Booth

Another way of error correcting for these natural biases and stories, according to my friend Bob Sutton, is to argue as if you were right, but listen as if you were wrong. Bob is a Stanford professor and bestselling author of The No Asshole Rule, and for decades he has studied what makes great leaders. The best leaders are constantly learning, curious about where they made mistakes and actively looking for areas where they might have it wrong. Arguing as if you’re right and listening like you’re wrong allows leaders to confidently go forward with a direction, while also being able to course correct when new information arises that suggests a better path. Bob’s research suggests that not only does it allow for faster learning, but by using similar frameworks, leaders inspire confidence in teams to contribute new ideas and challenge the status quo. Instead of leadership having their heads in the sand, the best ideas win.