Leaders Don’t Get Paid to Be Right — They Get Paid to Get It Right
Leadership thought of the week.
At first glance, this quote challenges the ego. Many leaders rise through the ranks because they’re often the smartest in the room. They’ve been rewarded for being right. But as the stakes get higher and the teams get larger, leadership stops being about having all the answers—and starts being about stewarding the right outcomes.
1. It’s Not About Ego—It’s About Ownership
Great leaders don’t anchor themselves to their own ideas. They anchor themselves to truth, outcomes, and progress. Being “right” in your own mind means nothing if the team, the customer, or the organization suffers. The mission is what matters.
“Being wrong and adjusting quickly is far better than being stubborn and consistently wrong.”
2. Right Isn’t a Position—It’s a Pursuit
Leaders are truth seekers, not truth holders. They create environments where the best ideas win—regardless of where those ideas come from. This means:
Asking good questions
Listening actively
Encouraging dissent and feedback
Admitting when you’re off-course
Making decisions based on what’s best, not who said it
3. Accountability > Certainty
Your role as a leader is to get the team, the product, the client, or the initiative to success. That means being flexible, coachable, and open to new information. It also means being the one who owns the outcome—even if the idea came from someone else.
“If the ship sinks, no one cares that the captain thought he was right.”
4. Humility Is Strategic, Not Soft
The ability to say “I don’t know” or “You’re right, let’s pivot” is not weakness—it’s maturity and strategic strength. Leaders who double down on being right often stifle innovation and demoralize talent. Leaders who are willing to adapt cultivate teams that think, act, and win.
5. The Mission Must Win
Ultimately, this quote reminds us: you’re not paid to protect your pride—you’re paid to protect the mission. Your credibility isn’t in your accuracy; it’s in your results.
Executive Building Consultant
1moRight on. Important distinction and why leaders find champions that stand up with passion for getting it right—justifying the business case so can achieve the right result. Too many sit and watch as a victim, fearful, or ego, having a solution, but won’t adapt while failure in action and THEN pipe up too late—I have little patience for those. I’d much rather have it straight to begin with to assist in achieving the right result.
Founder @ Tier Level | I help businesses grow by solving critical problems in marketing, strategy, and AI.
1moLove this!
We couldn't love this more! So many great quotes from our latest episode!
Your ideas are powerful. Let's make them unstoppable 📢 || Personal Branding Expert || Social Media Consultant || Award-Winning Podcaster || Neurodiversity Nerd
2moLove it-- It's all about mission over ego. Great leaders prioritise the outcome and adapt, rather than clinging to being "right."
Helping Businesses Boost Sales with Website, Packaging & Branding Design | Web & Graphic Designer | Owner at WebDev Habib
2moThanks for sharing, Brady