Recently, I read an interview with poker champion Annie Duke in USA Today. She was a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump, so the interviewer wanted to know her thoughts on the similarities between poker and business.
One of the leadership questions was whether or not poker players would make good CEOs and vice versa. Here’s what Annie said:
I’ve played poker with CEOs. The mistake they make is thinking they’re going to be great players. Their egos get in the way. They have to set their egos aside and say, “I’m obviously a very talented individual. I could become good at poker, but I have to be willing to learn. I have to be willing to open my mind to the possibility that I’m wrong and to listen to other people.” That’s hard for someone who’s gotten to the top.
My first thought was “Why should it be hard? For a great leader, it should be easier!” Sometimes, leaders do let their egos get the best of them and believe that they know it all or “should” know it all. But great leaders are always learning and know how and when to listen to others. They trust that their teams will provide valuable input, so they pay attention to what they have to say.
Leaders also know that sometimes they will make the wrong decision. And I agree with Annie on this one: “It’s not about being right, it’s about being right often enough…. Shrug your shoulders when you are wrong. Great players free themselves from the worry about being wrong.”
We can pretend we know it all, or we can be honest about the fact that we don’t. Great leaders are also great learners and great listeners. So what can YOU do to learn more and listen more today?
Tags: Annie Duke, Celebrity Apprentice, Ceos, Champion, Donald Trump, Egos, First Thought, Great Leaders, Interviewer, Leadership Questions, Learners, Listeners, Mistake, Poker Players, Shoulders, Usa Today, Worry, Wrong Decision