Years ago, Malcolm Gladwell wrote The Tipping Point, a book that was hailed as groundbreaking. Leaders in government, business, and beyond praised his analysis and even based major decisions on it. The book shaped how we understood trends, influence, and momentum. But recently, Gladwell did something not enough leaders are willing to do: he publicly admitted he got part of it wrong.
In a TED Talk reflecting on The Tipping Point, Gladwell acknowledged that his original conclusions weren’t wholly accurate. With the benefit of time, data, and perspective, he was able to see the gaps in his analysis — and rather than defending it out of pride or fear, he reevaluated and amended his work.
That’s leadership.
It’s easy to assume that once we’ve made a decision, written a report, or implemented a policy, the work is done. But as leaders, if we’re not willing to go back and ask, “Is this still true?” we risk clinging to outdated ideas that no longer serve our teams or our mission. Worse, we lose trust.
Because let’s be honest — our teams know when something isn’t working anymore. They’re the ones in the trenches, day by day, living the realities of the systems we’ve set in place. When we continue to demand reports or uphold procedures that have lost their relevance, we create frustration and disengagement. And when someone questions those practices and we respond with, “That’s just how we do it,” we’re not leading — we’re maintaining the status quo out of habit.
The courage to reevaluate doesn’t mean we were wrong or foolish at the start. Just like Gladwell, our original conclusions may have made perfect sense at the time. But leadership isn’t about being permanently right — it’s about being perpetually curious. It’s about being brave enough to ask, “What’s changed? What’s no longer serving us? What might we do differently now?”
In fact, it’s often not the initial decision that defines our leadership — it’s what we do after. The second stage, the reevaluation, can be far more powerful than the first. That’s where real growth, innovation, and trust are built.
So here’s a challenge for all of us: What’s one thing in your leadership — whether it’s a policy, a process, or a perspective — that deserves a second look? And what might change if you had the courage to ask, “Is this still true?”
Photo by Elimende Inagella on Unsplash
