It was once thought that the stronger you were in your convictions, and the more steadfastly you held on to them, the more successful a leader you’d be.

We are a nation that criticizes political candidates for changing their minds, accuses anyone with a wavering opinion of being less credible – because naturally, you have no idea about anything if you decide to turn left at the last minute instead of right, right?

Having just polished off Al Pittampalli’s, Persuadable: How Great Leaders Change Their Minds to Change the World, I am inspired by the fact that he is shedding light on a theory that COULD inevitably change the world.

In regard to the leaders of our nation and people in position of power, Pittampalli mentions something that struck quite a chord with me:

“We look to their consistency, to measure how reliable they are.”

This belief is so basically flawed yet so awfully true. Inherently, we, as a society, have been conditioned over time to associate consistency with safety, safety with very little risk, and very little risk with success.

The book goes on to reiterate the fact that in a world where things are changing on a dime, successful leaders have to be equipped to change with the times. Effective leaders realize that a genuine willingness to change their own minds is the ultimate competitive advantage. Take the real-deal players discussed in the book – Alan Mullaly, Billy Graham, Ray Dalio. The one thing that the world’s most successful hedge-fund manager, Ford Motor Company innovator, and civil rights activist have in common is they didn’t stay the course – they changed it.

Maybe it’s because I found such a personal connection to the notion of releasing oneself to the quicksand of convictions and jumping on board the open-mindedness train, that I’m wondering why this book isn’t handed out with job offers.

Personally speaking, I have always been of the belief that change is good. In fact, with each setback of my life, I remind myself, “change is good – keep it moving.” Pittampalli agrees. While it’s true that I haven’t exactly set out to change the world (yet), I have set out, over and over again, to change MY world, in my own pursuit of success, pleasure, and happiness. I am talking big time change – three states, six cities, way too many broken leases and even more job interviews in just five years.

The good news? I ended up exactly where I dreamed I’d be – doing exactly what I dreamed I’d do.

Now just imagine applying this notion to your position in life. Whether it be a position of power or a position of tirelessly trying to make a positive impact – you have to be comfortable to drop your ideas of how things should be – and go figure out what could be. This, dear readers, is why change is imperative to the success of anyone looking to make a difference, make an impact – and lead with true power, unafraid to change their own minds.

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