09/07/2026
POV: When We Are Both Right
This morning, my wife and I found ourselves debating a song many of us grew up singing:
"Prayer is the key, prayer is the key, prayer is the master key..."
Her position was straightforward. Prayer is the master key because it opens doors, unlocks possibilities, and gives access to what would otherwise remain closed.
Fair point.
My response was different. I argued that prayer may not necessarily be the master key because life requires different keys for different situations.
Love is a key. Praise is a key. Knowledge is a key. Wisdom is a key. Discipline is a key.
Relationships are keys. Ex*****on is a key.
After all, a master key opens every door. Yet in reality, different doors often require different keys.
Fair point too.
What fascinated me wasn't the argument. It was the realization that we were both making sense from different perspectives.
And that's when a thought struck me. When we are both right!
One of the most expensive mistakes we make in life, leadership, and business is assuming that because our perspective is valid, every other perspective must be invalid.
We become so committed to being right that we stop being open. Yet many times, the person across the table is not wrong. They are simply seeing something you are not seeing.
Some of the best ideas have died in meetings because someone was too convinced they had the right answer to consider a better one.
Some of the biggest opportunities have been missed because leaders valued being right more than getting it right.
Some teams remain stuck not because they lack talent, but because individuals are competing to prove whose idea should win.
The operations team is right to demand efficiency. Customer service is right to demand flexibility. Finance is right to worry about cost. Business development has the right to pursue growth. Quality control is right to demand standards. Sales is right to push for speed.
To be continued in the comments session....
