Hardheadedness seems to be rampant. From the boardroom to politics to everyday interactions, we often encounter people (and may also find ourselves) upholding a stance despite evidence of its inaccuracy. Take the many well-educated and well-intended individuals who, despite overwhelming factual evidence to the contrary, continue to deny climate change or believe that vaccines cause autism. But what do people think of those who refuse to change their minds? How do leaders, in particular, come across when they steadfastly continue to uphold a stance in the face of contradictory evidence? We performed a series of experiments to find out.
Research: Changing Your Mind Makes You Seem Intelligent
And being stubborn makes you seem confident.
September 11, 2019
Summary.
What do people think of leaders who refuse to change their minds? The authors performed a series of experiments to find out. They found that people perceived entrepreneurs who changed their minds as lacking confidence, but demonstrating intelligence. Further research illuminated the contexts in which stubbornness isn’t penalized. For example, in another study where participants were evaluating job candidates, participants were more likely to agree that a candidate who changed their mind should be hired if the job was one where intelligence was valued (such as engineering). However, the preference was muted in jobs where confidence was valued (such as public speaking).
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New!
HBR Learning
Decision Making Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Decision Making. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Practical ways to improve your decision-making process.