From Monday Momentum, combining two notes to my team: “Strong Opinions, Loosely Held” and “Strong Views, Loose Grip.”
“Strong opinions, loosely held” is often misread as “argue loudly until someone proves you wrong.” Paul Saffo, the forecaster who coined it (his version said weakly held), meant nearly the opposite. The goal is not to win the argument. It is to improve the hypothesis.
Teams rarely get perfect data. They have to choose a direction, act, learn quickly, and change course when the evidence changes.
Ray Dalio makes the same point from the other side in Principles: good collaboration needs two abilities that seem to conflict, saying what you believe and staying genuinely willing to change your mind. He calls it being assertive and open-minded at the same time. Assertiveness puts your reasoning on the table; open-mindedness lets it be tested.
Try this
For one decision this week, present your position in three parts:
- My current recommendation is…
- The evidence behind it is…
- What could change my mind is…
Then invite someone who sees it differently to respond before the decision is final. Ask questions to understand their reasoning, not to prepare a rebuttal. Ideas become working hypotheses instead of parts of anyone’s identity, and learning that a first view was incomplete becomes useful information.
Neither extreme serves a team: waiting forever for more data, or refusing to turn because you have already invested. We need enough conviction to move and enough humility to change course.
The strongest teams are not the ones who are always right. They are the ones who learn fastest.