Being Right vs. Leading Well

A New Year’s Call for Consensus-Driven Leadership

A new year has a funny way of exposing old habits.

Leaders return from the holidays energized.

Goals sharpened.

Strategy decks refreshed.

Vision is clear. Direction is set. Conviction is strong.

And then… the room goes quiet.

Not because the team agrees.

But because the leader is right.

In cybersecurity, technology, and leadership broadly, many of us were rewarded for being right.

We spotted the risk first.

We called the breach before it happened.

We saw the architectural flaw before it failed in production.

Being right kept companies safe and careers moving.

But here’s the New Year truth worth sitting with:

Being right is not the same as leading well.

When “Right” Becomes a Leadership Liability

Prioritizing being right over building consensus creates subtle but dangerous cracks.

• Teams stop offering dissenting views

• Innovation slows because debate feels unsafe

• People comply outwardly but disengage inwardly

• Leaders become the single point of failure

In security, that’s especially risky.

Threat actors thrive on blind spots.

Healthy teams surface them.

When a leader dominates the room, the room stops protecting the mission.

Scripture Meets Strategy

The Bible consistently warns us about wisdom without humility.

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Proverbs 20:18

It doesn’t say plans fail because leaders lack intelligence.

They fail because leaders lack counsel.

Even Jesus, fully aware of His mission, consistently asked questions, listened, and invited dialogue. Authority didn’t make Him defensive. It made Him secure.

That’s the model.

Consensus Is Not Weakness

Let’s clear something up.

Consensus is not:

• Indecision

• Groupthink

• Letting the loudest voice win

• Avoiding hard calls

Consensus is:

• Inviting challenge before commitment

• Making space for perspectives you don’t fully agree with

• Letting people help shape what they’ll later defend

• Strengthening decisions before execution

Strong leaders don’t need agreement to lead.

They value consensus because it strengthens outcomes.

A New Year Leadership Reset

As this year begins, here are a few practical questions worth asking yourself:

• When was the last time someone disagreed with me publicly?

• Do my teams feel safe challenging my assumptions?

• Am I listening to understand or listening to respond?

• Would my absence slow decisions or empower others?

If every meeting ends with you being right, you may be leading alone.

And leadership was never meant to be a solo act.

The Cyber Deacon Takeaway

In cybersecurity, we talk a lot about resilience.

Resilient systems are distributed.

Resilient teams are heard.

Resilient leaders invite voices before crises force them to.

This year, don’t just aim to be right.

Aim to be trusted.

Aim to be heard and hearing.

Aim to build teams that protect the mission even when you’re not in the room.

Because the strongest leaders aren’t remembered for always being right.

They’re remembered for building teams that were.

Happy New Year. Let’s lead better together.