the opposable mind

When was the last time you truly changed your mind? Not about what to order for lunch, but about a deeply held belief or important decision?

At our recent telos retreat, we invited a colleague from outside our company to observe. Midway through, he pulled me aside and said, “I can’t believe how often people here change their minds.”

At first, I didn’t think much of it—it’s normal for us. But his comment made me realize: it’s probably not commonplace amongst leaders or within the teams they lead.

At telos, we operate on the principle of strong convictions, loosely held. Our people enter discussions with clear ideas but aren’t afraid to shift their thinking when presented with new information. This openness yields multiple benefits. For one, the team makes better decisions because the best ideas rise to the top. The practice also encourages diversity of thought, which ultimately leads to more creative solutions. On a deeper level, the practice of changing-minds fosters higher degrees of personal ownership, as team members see the impact of their contributions in real-time. .

Most organizations settle for simple alignment, but alignment alone falters when things get tough. It’s ownership that keeps teams united through challenging times. And the best ownership happens when people are empowered to challenge their own ideas and adapt in real time.

What allows our team to operate this way?

We acknowledge Wicked Problems.

This term refers to a specific type of problem for which there is no right or wrong answer. By this definition, even a simple problem can be wicked. For example, “What is the best way to spend our Saturday afternoon together?” Often what makes a problem wicked is the need to honor diverse stakeholder perspectives.

Recognizing wicked problems is a game-changer and it transforms the way we approach the problem. It frees us from the pressure of needing to be “right” or avoiding being “wrong.” When I understand that there isn’t a clear answer, I’m far more open to influence because I know that neither of us holds the absolute truth.

We create space for disagreement.

Our culture encourages people to share dissenting viewpoints without hesitation. To support this, we’ve built in several practices that reinforce this mindset. For example, our weekly leadership meeting includes a dedicated Tensions and Opportunities segment, which normalizes raising concerns and challenges. Another key practice is our use of the Fist-to-Five consensus method, a simple yet powerful tool that lets everyone rank their support for an idea on a scale from 1-5, ensuring every voice is heard.

Despite our intention, not everyone feels comfortable openly disagreeing with their colleagues, let alone their boss. Often, people will identify this as their developmental “backhand.” This lets the team know this person might need some encouragement to speak up or stand tall.

No one of these techniques will create a culture of constructive conflict. But when stacked, and practiced over time, they subtly reshape the team’s values.