In Think Again, Grant explores why entrepreneurs and executives—and really everybody—get caught in the trap of closed-mindedness, unwilling to change their assumptions and beliefs even when the evidence is right in front of them. In a turbulent world, he argues, your ability to rethink and unlearn matters far more than raw intelligence.
Beware of ‘founder syndrome’
- Founders often overgeneralize the wrong lesson: that every time they bet against consensus they will have better judgment
- The better approach is to analyze why you are right and others are wrong in this situation
- Don’t follow your intuition; test your intuition
Find joy in being wrong
Think more like a scientist performing an experiment and less like a preacher or politician defending your ideas. If you consider your own conclusions and theories as provisional, Grant says, you’re less likely to escalate your commitment to a losing strategy.
Come up with at least one reason you might be wrong
One of the easiest ways to try to curb overconfidence is to come up with even one viable reason why you might be wrong, Grant writes. “When you form an opinion, ask yourself what would have to happen to prove it false.”
Develop a trusted ‘challenge network’
You are unlikely to be able to see all of your own blind spots, no matter how self-aware you become. To ensure you know what you don’t know, you need a team of employees willing to challenge you.
