Even if you’re wrong

I love this story that Robert E. Quinn includes in his book: Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within

“Karl Weick tells a story about a military unit that was operating under difficult circumstances in the Alps during World War II.

The commanding officer had sent a reconnaissance squad to scout out the surrounding area. A day passed, and the squad had not returned. It was feared that it was lost.

Three days later, to everyone’s relief, the squad returned. It had become lost and very discouraged when one of the men remembered that he had a map in his pack. This discovery brought a surge of hope and renewed energy. The squad leader took the map and led the squad safely back.

The story was recounted to the relieved commanding officer, who summoned the squad leader to his tent and commended him for his fine work. It was not until later that the commanding officer noticed the map and realized that it was not a map of the Alps at all but one of the Pyrenees.

Weick points out that a good outcome can result from a flawed map. In this case, the map was a symbol that raised hope and energy. It allowed the squad leader to organize his men and get them to believe in a common strategy of action. The fact that the squad was again moving allowed the men to begin to calculate and think about where they were going. Even though their basic assumptions were wrong, the process of acting and calculating allowed them to learn and resolve their problem.”

*****

I love this story!  It demonstrates something that I have lived out all my life: You can be wrong and still end up in the right place. 

It’s all according to what your goal is. 

The ONE THING for today: Everyone can’t be right (including you and me). But even if you are wrong, if your ultimate goal is helping others, saving others, and serving others – then even if you’re wrong you’ve got a chance.