Hey Reader,
Ever caught yourself defending a decision to prove you were right, even when a tiny voice tells you there’s probably a better way?
Don’t cringe now, I’m not judging.
We’ve all been there.
Most people struggle with a subconscious ego that shuts the doors to feedback, risk, and failure…the very route to the breakthroughs they’re chasing.
In today’s issue, we’ll discuss how being wrong can be your first step to greatness.
💭 When ego gets in the way of greatness
Let’s talk about Michael Jordan.
In high school, he didn’t make the varsity basketball team.
He was literally told he wasn’t good enough.
After being cut, Jordan reportedly doubled down on practice.
He pushed himself to a level that would become his hallmark.
He refused to let that moment define him. Rather, he treated the rejection as data.
Years later, he said in an interview: “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
A story that’s been recounted by coaches, teammates, and biographers alike.
This means our ego says, “Don’t let anyone see you fail.”
But growth says, “Use this failure to get better, faster, stronger.”
So how can you lean into growth?
🧠 Your ego may be holding you back
So much of what holds us back isn’t external.
It’s not time, talent, or motivation.
It’s the subconscious that tells you not to try unless we’re sure we’ll win.
Not to take feedback because it’s a threat.
Or says you can’t afford to be wrong…you’ll look weak.
And so we don’t take the risk.
We don’t ask for help.
We don’t try the new thing or chase the next level because failure feels too dangerous.
It’s your ego.
It hides behind strategy, caution, competence, and all the things it convinces you are worth more than anything else.
It makes you think that being perfect equals being powerful.
And it can make you play small, just enough to stay comfortable, just enough to look competent, just enough to keep people off your back.
It makes you care more about looking right than being great.
But it’s quietly building walls around your potential.
❤️ Your identity is bigger than your ego
You can’t grow if you can’t be wrong.
You can’t evolve if you’re too afraid to fail in public.
When you detach yourself from the outcome of your goals, you make decisions from opportunity, not fear.
You take risks because you see the possibility, not because you need to prove something.
You can take coaching.
You can admit when you’re wrong.
You can fail, learn, and come back stronger.
Because you’re no longer tied to being right, perfect, or enough, mistakes stop feeling like failure and start feeling like data.
Every challenge becomes a chance to grow without shrinking in the process.
There’s a freedom in that.
At home, in relationships, in your personal life, you start showing up fully there, too.
Conversations will feel easier, you’ll be calmer, more deliberate, more alive.
Opportunities that used to feel risky start to feel exciting.
And the version of you that’s been waiting to step into power fully finally has room to move.
🤲 Step into your counter ego
I’ve struggled with being vulnerable to feedback, failure, and not having everything figured out.
And I’ve realized that being seen trying and sometimes failing is part of the deal.
Here are 3 ways to counter the subconscious that holds you back:
- Recognize the characteristics of the ego. When you feel defensive or avoidant, pause and ask: “Am I protecting my image… or pursuing growth?” The sabotage voice is defensive, resistant, avoidant, and protective.
- Recognize the qualities of counter-ego. It’s curious, fearless, and willing to be wrong. It asks, What can I learn here? How does this push me to the next level? it’s teachable, courageous, growth-minded, not afraid to mess up, etc. Willing to fail in public, counts your lessons in private, and soar.
- Choose teachable over right. Imagine responding like a version of you that’s curious, willing to be wrong, and eager to learn. That’s a bold step to sustainable greatness.
The less energy spent in trying to defend who you are, the more you can become what you’re capable of being.
💢 Out of defense, and into growth.
So… what part of you is showing up just to protect itself, instead of to grow?
What would change if you treated every challenge as a chance to expand, not as a threat to your identity?
The goal is to keep moving, and to keep moving, you have to keep learning.
You bet there are hardly any lessons learned if you got everything right.
As Nelson Mandela once said, “I never lose. I either win or learn.”
So losing in an attempt to win isn’t really losing after all.
You’ve got this.
With appreciation,
Huw
PS. I recently DNF’s my latest Leadville attempt. And I know it is going to lead to growth and future success. Stay tuned for a full debrief in a future newsletter.
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Huw Edwards
Founder & CEO, h3.xyz
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