In this solo episode of the No Days Off podcast, host Brian Gubernick argues that the ability to change one’s mind is the clearest sign of sanity and a critical business skill. He begins by reframing the popular definition of insanity—repeating the same actions while expecting different results—and proposes that sanity is demonstrated by mental flexibility. Gubernick cites recent Harvard Business School research showing that smarter individuals change their minds more often, and that entrepreneurs who pivot during investor pitches are up to six times more likely to advance. He explains why investors view mind‑changing as a sign of intelligence and adaptability, noting that stubbornness can be perceived as dumbness. The episode then explores how adaptability benefits businesses: staying relevant in dynamic markets, improving decision‑making by incorporating new data, fostering continuous learning, and encouraging open team communication. Gubernick concludes with a reflective prompt, urging listeners to assess their own openness versus stubbornness and to embrace adaptability as a path to growth.
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Thank you for joining me today. It's Brian Gubernick, and welcome to the No Days Off podcast, where we believe that every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. Let's get into today's topic. We've all probably heard the phrase, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Probably heard it. Someone said it to you. You've read it somewhere. Maybe you've even said it yourself. When someone's doing something over and over again, you're like, "Hey, that's insane. That is the definition of insanity." Keeping, you know, continuing to do the same thing over and over again, thinking it's going to change or you're going to get a different result doesn't make much sense. Well, I was thinking about this phrase recently, this definition of insanity. And it occurred to me that if that is in fact the definition of insanity, then the surest indication of sanity is the ability to change your mind. Again, if the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, then the surest indication of sanity is the ability to change your mind. So think about that for a moment. The surest indication of sanity is the ability to change your mind. What's funny about this is that Harvard Business School has actually done some research around the ability to change your mind. Actually, what some of the research indicates is that smarter individuals change their mind more often than those that, that don't. In other words, stubbornness doesn't make you strong. Stubbornness doesn't make you smart. Stubbornness actually makes you look kind of dumb. But it's the ability to change your mind that makes you seem a little smarter. Now, there's a ton of advice out there for entrepreneurs, for business owners, for people like the No Days Off Nation members All this advice about how to be resilient and how to stick with your dreams in the face of rejection. Now, it goes without saying, being tough, being resilient is a useful quality when it comes to building a business. But the research that Harvard just put out not too long ago suggests that when grit turns into stubbornness, you actually pay a steep cost. The research team over at Harvard found that changing your mind actually makes entrepreneurs appear more intelligent, but sticking to your guns actually causes people to sometimes seem a little dumber. There is a study that Harvard did that showed that entrepreneurs who were pitching their product or their service to a group of investors, these entrepreneurs who changed their minds during their pitch were almost 6 times more likely to advance to the final round of, of this particular competition. Now, why was that? The researchers ran this simulated pitch competition to find out, and they observed that participants had a higher opinion of entrepreneurs that changed their minds compared to those that dug their heels in. And the reason was pretty simple: participants perceived those who changed their minds as lacking some confidence But those, those individuals demonstrated intelligence. They were showing intelligence because of their ability to listen, to absorb, and to adapt. Having the ability to change your mind is a very, very solid business school— a business skill. Uh, flexibility, adaptability, these are crucial things to have. I mentioned adaptation to change. The business environment that these entrepreneurs would be entering, that, you know, that were pitching to these investors, the business environment that they were going to enter is rather dynamic. Market conditions are always changing, consumer preferences are changing, technology is obviously evolving. So being able to change your mind in response to new information or shifting circumstances It allows for businesses to stay relevant. It allows for businesses to be competitive. And in this, you know, in this example that I'm giving around these entrepreneurs pitching to investors, investors need to see the ability to compete and to, and to be relevant and to adapt to changing circumstances. Better decision-making also comes from the ability to change your mind. When you stubbornly stick to an initial decision despite new evidence, it can lead to a poor outcome. But being open to changing your mind when presented with, say, better data or better insights, it helps you make a more effective, more informed decision. So the ability, right, the ability to flex, to be adaptable, to change your mind could lead to better decision-making. It also leads to learning and improvement. When you have a willingness to change your mind, it, it's because of this continuous learning, this continuous desire for continuous improvement. It demonstrates that you value growth and you're not afraid to, to acknowledge or accept, or even I should say correct mistakes. Last thing that I'm thinking around here, team dynamics. Leaders who show that they could change their minds, they actually foster a culture of open communication and collaboration. So, when you display the ability to change your mind, you're actually encouraging team members to voice their opinions and contribute ideas, knowing that their input could influence your decision and knowing that you're willing to listen and hear them out. So overall, the ability to change your mind is a reflection of agility and resilience, and both of these things are essential traits in, in, in a business landscape that's constantly changing. So going back, if the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, then the surest way, the surest way to define sanity or to determine sanity would be in an individual's ability to change their mind. So the thought for you, the focusing question for you, how open-minded are you? How stubborn are you? Are you willing to change your mind? At least be willing to consider new data, you know, new opinion, maybe look at new angles. I mean, again, the business dynamic in which we all operate It's, you know, it's pretty dynamic. You know, business is dynamic. Technology is changing. Are you adaptable? Are you resilient? Are you willing to change your mind? Something to be thinking around today. That's all I have for you. The No Days Off Podcast. Thank you so much for listening. And remember, every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. So let's get after it. [MUSIC] [MUSIC]
