← In Session with Byron

In Session · Watch

The Conviction Myth: Why Certainty Isn't Leadership

With Byron McCaughey · 17 June 2026

In this episode of In Session with Byron - filmed while walking his dog Maya - psychologist Byron McCaughey takes on a persistent leadership myth: that conviction means being 100% certain of your path, and anything less is a sign you don't have what it takes. The research says otherwise. Leaders who hold conviction while actively seeking out opposing views are more likely to succeed than those locked onto a single perspective. Questioning your direction isn't flip-flopping - it's being cognisant of what you may not know. Learn why pure conviction is a trap, not a leadership requirement, what the research actually says about balanced perspective and success, and a question to ask yourself: have you been avoiding views that aren't your own? Go find the opinions that challenge yours. You'll make better decisions for you and your business.

Read along

Transcript

Hi everyone, Byron here, psychologist for entrepreneurs. Today's In Session with Byron is while I'm walking my dog Maya. Who's there?

The topic of today is on leadership - specifically, the idea that conviction is the sign of authentic leadership. This is not correct. There is this myth that as founders we need to be 100% pointed towards a particular place, and that we need to have pure conviction - because without conviction, we're not going to succeed.

Well, the research says otherwise. Actually, what the research says is that if we're able to have conviction while also having a balanced perspective - where we actively seek out opposing views to our own - we are more likely to be successful.

Don't fall for the trap of thinking that you need to be 100% on your path, and that if you aren't, it means you don't have the necessary conviction. I want you to ask yourself: have you been avoiding contrary views? Have you been avoiding opinions that may not be your own? And if you have, go out there and find them, because all the research points to a better likelihood of the outcome that you are after.

It doesn't mean that you are flip-flopping. What it does mean is that you are cognisant of what you may not know. You go out there and you seek that, so you can make better decisions for you and for your business.

All right, I'm back to my dog walk.

More episodes

In SessionWatch

Rumination vs Reflection: How to Escape Thought Loops

In this episode of In Session with Byron, psychologist Byron McCaughey tackles rumination - that post-board-meeting, post-pitch spiral where you can't stop replaying what you said and analysing what they said. Rumination is not the same as reflection. Reflection means considering what happened, extracting the useful information, and moving on. Rumination is a loop - and the research is clear that it correlates with anxiety and depressive outcomes. On a practical level, it also means you're never fully present for the next thing: the work in front of you, time with your partner, moments with family. Learn the critical difference between reflection and rumination, a simple diagnostic question - have I learnt anything new from thinking about this in the last 24 hours? - and how grounding in your senses pulls you out of the loop, because the brain can't attend to the present and replay the past at the same time. If the answer to that question is no, you're ruminating. Come back to the present.

Watch & read more
In SessionWatch

Why You Avoid What's Good For You (And How to Stop)

In this episode of In Session with Byron, psychologist Byron McCaughey breaks down avoidance - why we don't do the things we know are right for us, and how a small shift in how we relate to our thoughts can make a huge impact. Speaking up at work. Posting your opinion on LinkedIn. Starting the business. Making the pivot. Your mind sees the potential bad outcomes - the argument, the criticism, the failure - and steps in with protective behaviours to keep you safe. The problem? Constantly avoiding what matters comes at a cost to your energy, motivation and wellbeing. Learn why avoidance is your mind's protection mechanism at work - not a personal flaw - the hidden cost of continually avoiding the things that would make your life better, and a simple way to thank your mind and take action anyway. Because the bad outcome your mind is protecting you from is rarely as bad as the cost of a life spent avoiding it.

Watch & read more
In SessionWatch

Anxiety for the Right Reasons

In this episode of In Session with Byron, psychologist Byron McCaughey offers a different way of looking at anxiety - one that starts with asking where it came from. Sometimes anxiety is the byproduct of good decisions: investing in product development, hiring new talent, taking a strategic bet on the business. Choices made for the right reasons - aligned with your values and the company you're trying to build. Learn why anxiety isn't always a signal something is wrong - sometimes it's evidence you made a values-aligned choice - how recognising the "right reasons" behind your anxiety takes the weight out of it, and a simple reframe: would you trade the anxiety away if it meant undoing the decision that caused it? Most founders wouldn't. And knowing that changes your relationship with the anxiety itself.

Watch & read more