Wilhelm II was unlikely to abandon rivalry with Britain through persuasion

What might persuade Wilhelm II that antagonising the British Empire was a mistake?

Ordinary persuasion was unlikely to work because the Kaiser's commitment to the rivalry was too deeply entrenched.

This counterfactual turns on political personality rather than a policy memorandum. Wilhelm II appears convinced of his own insight and persistently driven to display power against Britain. Persuasion would be unlikely to make him accept that antagonising the British Empire was strategically damaging. A change in leadership offers a more plausible route than a voluntary reversal by the Kaiser himself.