How to change your mind without losing credibility

Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” From his vantage point in the nineteenth century, he was expressing frustration with the typical leader who feels the need to stick with an opinion that has outlived its usefulness. The modern world also seems to punish leaders who change their perspective, branding them flip-floppers.

In a dynamic world, though, opinions, beliefs, and plans should change as new information becomes available. There are several things leaders can do to change their minds without seeming capricious.

1. Avoid committing too early

One reason leaders have to change their minds publicly is that they often assume leading means setting a clear priority and position on every breaking issue. Even though information is available quickly, it often takes a while before a leader is informed enough to know what to do, say, or believe about an evolving situation.

Leaders need to learn to communicate that they do not have enough information to provide a decisive opinion. You can let people know that you are gathering information and you’re concerned about feeling you will be locked into whatever you say first. You can reinforce the point that delaying issuing a statement or opinion is not the same as not taking an issue seriously.

When a situation requires some action, you can determine what steps you need to take to prepare for action, even when you’re not willing to commit to a particular course. There are times when keeping a variety of options open is the right thing to do. Letting people know the steps you’re taking before making a firm decision can give them insight into your thought process.

2. Identify your principles

Of course, situations change even when you think you had the best possible information at the time. As a result, sometimes you will find yourself needing to change your mind publicly.

Often, when leaders are criticized for changing their mind, it is not because they now believe something different. Instead, it is because of a more cynical view of leaders that they never had any strong commitments to begin with. The assumption is that many things that leaders say are “spin” designed to appease their audience and when they change their opinion in public, they have simply determined that another opinion will play better.

To keep your credibility, start by being clear about your principles. Communicate with your audience in a genuine way. Don’t just say what you think people want to hear. Then, base your shift in beliefs on your principles. When you communicate with others about a change in opinion, do so by linking back to the principles you have talked about before. Your consistency lies in the bedrock you use to lead rather than in the specific beliefs, opinions, and plans that are responses to an ever-changing world.

3. Be your own decision maker

As a leader, you must reflect on why you are changing your mind. Leaders often have lots of advisors who are focused on when and how to communicate about emerging situations. In my leadership roles, I have watched as teams of communications professionals outline approaches to emerging situations. This apparatus can sometimes take the place of reflection on the leader’s part about how best to understand what is going on.

You cannot allow the communications tail to wag the leadership dog. Develop a clear philosophy about how to approach complex situations. Talk that over with your advisors. Communicate early and often about the principles you use to lead. Set expectations about how you will provide information to others. The rush to communicate about a new situation is driven by concerns about an information vacuum. Uncertainty creates anxiety.

When you communicate from the start of your leadership term about how you handle adversity, you are laying the groundwork to reduce uncertainty when something does go wrong. If people know that you act deliberately and know the principles you use to reach decisions, you can communicate about your process during a difficult situation rather than having to rush to calm people by espousing an underinformed opinion.

4. Accept criticism

When you do change your mind, you should acknowledge right away that some people will be disappointed you now hold a different opinion. Your job as a leader is not to please everyone. Indeed, at times your job is to displease the majority. You can acknowledge other people’s disappointment without bending to it.

You might also choose to give some information both about why you held your previous belief and what changed your mind. In that way, you’re affording other people insight into the process you use for evaluating information. For junior members of your organization, that process information may be valuable for helping them to learn to navigate complexity.

It is a natural human desire to be liked. When you step into a leadership role, though, you are trading the joy of being liked by others for the authority to shape the future of your organization. You have to remind yourself of that when circumstances lead you to change your mind.