How to be Smart about being Dumb
Everyone has dumb ideas, even you. The real problem isn’t dumb ideas, it’s no one challenges them.
Untested brilliance is stupidity waiting to happen.
I’m filled with ideas. Frankly, I’ve never met a new idea I didn’t love. From my point of view, my ideas are genius. But, experiences shows most aren’t.
Unchallenged leaders are dumb at the beginning and dangerous in the end.
If you can’t convince your team that your idea is brilliant, you have the wrong team or the wrong idea.
Invitation:
Hone your ideas with others.
I meet informally with seven leaders to gather input and feedback on what I’m thinking.
Once a month, I invite my “cabinet” to evaluate my performance, get input on new ideas, and confirm or correct my observations.
Last month, I shared a key factor to success that I believed we were missing. Everyone agreed with my assessment. We’re rapidly moving to address this issue.
This month, I brought up a “brilliant” idea regarding social media. There was universal dissent. I thought it was genius. They thought it was terrible! I’m rethinking.
Respond:
The way you respond to being challenged gives people permission to speak-up or encourages them to shut-up. Don’t defend, explore.
Dumb leaders can’t be challenge.
Lousy leaders take being challenged personally.
Model:
Model the pursuit of excellence.
I want the people on my cabinet to participate in my pursuit of excellence. In the process, I’m encouraging them to pursue excellence for themselves.
Note: I haven’t given up on my social media idea. It’s coming up again, believe me.
How can leaders protect themselves from their own “brilliance?”
“Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you have.” ~Emile Chartier
Sounding Board folks are so vital.
Thanks Ken. Great quote.
Amen, Dan. It takes humility, courage, & brilliance to be that open to the notion that one’s own idea may be a major fail or simply needs to be recalibrated & re-presented at a later time. Demonstrating such vulnerability nurtures the brilliance of those around us.
Thanks David. It’s fascinating that letting ourselves be “dumb” helps others be “smart.”
I appreciate your inclusion of vulnerability in the conversation. It’s foundational to connection and influence.
Well Dan, I am learning so much lately.
It is like my brain is turned on in some kind of a different way.
I am noticing that Dumb part you are asking me to ponder today is my idea of the way things have always been.
Thing is it is tricky sort of, things do not HAVE to be the way they are or have been.
Like having a house, one can remodel, move, whatever.
I find sharing The Third Unlimited with folks some of what I get back is just like an automatic response.
I write this asking to open a conversation.I want to help xxxx go from being a Millionaire to Billionaire, join the Team that ends Global Poverty and expands the way people will learn over the next 30 years. Can we talk?
Fascinatingly what I get back is an offer to buy something from them?
The most hilarious so far was an offer to talk with this one Dude for 15 minutes costing me 597.00!!!
He would share with me the Golden Opportunity to attend his Seminar for 6999.00 to listen to him talk about himself for 3 days!!!!
Man did that make me giggle!!!!!
Wrote back saying I really appreciated his offer but I out mine and his side by side, compared.
My offer seems better for both of us by a long shot!! Call me!!!
Lol
My point is Dan, being DUMB for me is not really listening, firing back automatic responses to people when we are wrapped to tight in our own heads.
Truly listening I find takes great effort and concentration.
Far greater than I thought previously!
Good stuff today.
Take care!
Hey God is tickled pink with his kids!!! Lets get more tickled pink with each other today!!!
SP
EA
Thanks Scott. I’m guilty of being “wrapped too tight in my own head.” I think it takes skill and courage to hang on to a big picture and still listen to input when it comes to day-to-day execution. It does for me, anyway.
We see that the same Dan.
I have made a game out if it!!!
Having a Grand Time!!!!!
I believe I can say ANYTHING to these folks and their response is, “buy this from us”!!!!
Can it be ANY clearer no one is truly listening????
Lol
SP
EA
Dan,
Great post. I would add that there needs to be a “safe” environment for people to give candid and honest feedback to a Leader. Your example of “universal dissent” from your cabinet is a great example of people who feel safe in providing feedback, even if it’s not consistent with your position.
Don
Thanks Don. It took about four meetings to get to that level of candor. Plus, I already know everyone on the team. Another reason everyone spoke up is they all have opinions.
I have to correct something I wrote.
I met, this morning, with one of the people who was there last night. He reminded me that he thought my social media idea was good, but, his voice was drown out. 🙂 We laughed.
It was gratifying to me to see everyone speaking up with passion, even if it was explaining why my idea wouldn’t work.
This gets more difficult after some initial success… it’s easy to get caught into the trap…”well, the last idea was brilliant, so this one is too.” Or “they wouldn’t have promoted me if I was a genius…” I’m so with you…the real brilliance is surrounding yourself with people who will tell you the truth.
K, are you saying EGO….DUMB. HUMILITY….BRILLIANT?
By the way K, I got a book to write.
Any advice how one goes about that?
Seems would be easier if I had a writer I shared my story with and they used what they DO to get it on paper.
Any ideas?
SP
EA
Thanks Karin. Brilliant! 😉
This is a great use for internal social media. I’m starting to get more brazen and throwing things out on my Feed (to any coworker that follows me) that I’ve got in initial incubation mode and letting them have at it. It’s scary in a large corp culture but a worthwhile adventure.
Dear Dan,
I wonder whether others need to be convinced if you have an idea. Alternatively, there might be many instances where people may not accept to your ideas. The reason may be simple- people think rationally. And I think ideas can be irrational as well. As long as idea is rational, people tend to accept otherwise not. It is also my irrationality of thinking. If someone has great conviction from withing about an idea, it is enough to go ahead.
I also agree that ideas need some supportive evidences. Ideas could be foolish idea without great conviction and proper justifications.
Leaders can protect themselves from their own brilliance by appearing simple. It means leaders should not distinguish from others. People should believe you while connecting with you. When people invite complex with leaders, even the brilliant leaders start creating space. So, leaders should not act in a way to create space or complex with others. Having great ideas while looking simple, appearing right is the essential elements of effective leaders and great ideas.
This is something I’ve been pretty good at practicing. I’m always asking for feedback on my ideas and my output. It isn’t just for affirmation that the idea or work is good, but because they become so much better when multiple viewpoints help to shape them.
But ideas are tricky things, and I like John Steinbeck’s thought on the topic: “Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.”
Cheers, Dan.
Proverbs 15:22. Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
We have to remember that it takes a team effort to turn an idea into reality. A one-person effort will likely leave a trail of frustration, confusion, and can drive a permanent wedge or scar in relationships.
That being said, some people do present better ideas or concerns and do so sooner than the need is realized by others. When you find someone who brings ideas to the table about problems or opportunities that do not yet exist, hear them out and discuss it as if it is real today. You may find out there is a potential problem or opportunity, and it would be easier to make a small correction or start preparing now, than deal with the consequences of ill-preparation. These people can be extremely valuable, but will easily feel unimportant if they continuously go unheard and they will adopt an “I told you so attitude.” They help prepare organizations, those who don’t listen just fight fires or serve as trauma-doctors of the organization.
“Throwing MUD at the wire fence” is always a good way to see what sticks where. In large corporations, expect some rain (or, with a bad boss, constant heavy downpours).
No idea is dumb, simply because it might generate another idea.
But IMPLEMENTING a dumb idea IS dumb.
“untested brilliance” — I gotta let that one mull for a while, I think. I have on my desk a little ceramic bottle with a cork stopper that says, “elegant solutions.” Am I supposed to keep the cork in that bottle?
Also, there is this on that:
“A Desk is a Dangerous Place from which to View the World.” (John LeCarre)
Heck, throwing mud and making a mess is also great fun, especially when it is done in your boss’ office and not your workplace.
Wonderful post Dan. I love how you use yourself as an example. Courageous and BRAVE! : )
Highlighting what you wrote here: Lousy leaders take being challenged personally.
…and sometimes just plain old inexperienced.
Perhaps one of the greatest roadblocks to overcome between a leader and their team would be this one. I believe it frees us EVERYONE, both the leader AND the team/employees when the leader knows and feels confident that the team making suggestions, or even giving honest opinions about the nature of this, that, or the other isn’t a challenge to that person, their position, or ‘authority’. Once that major stumbling block is out of the way, it really cements the foundation of trust. And frees up a ton of energy all of the way around. No one has to walk on eggshells.
Great post Dan.
Caveat to this though: sometimes there are times where it may BE a challenge to the leader. ie.. an aggressive person seeking power, or there is a legit ethical or values issue, even the occasional misunderstanding, etc.
Dan,
Great post
This reminds me of a think tank concept dating back to Napoleon Hill. I do so appreciate this site.
Thank you Dan!
I completelty agree with this post. The work I do is all about quality improvement. When I first started doing it I would try and lead people to the ‘obvious’ solutions that were screaming out at me. Oddly, people resisted, ideas failed and my credibility flopped with it.
Yesterday a team gave me 10 minutes to talk about an improvement project that they don’t want to get involved in. My opening words were (to paraphrase) ‘I’m not here to tell you what to do. I don’t have the answers. I’m not the expert, you are. Now here’s the data that tells us what we need to improve, can you help me figure out how to do it’. The meeting lasted not 10 minutes but 2 hours and I now have a flood of thoughts, ideas and critically, buy-in to the project. I have achieved ownership and leadership by neither owning or leading around my idea or ideas.
Great post! I love the effect of this closer: “Note: I haven’t given up on my social media idea. It’s coming up again, believe me.” A true example of honing an idea.
Another great post. Just wondering what happens when confirmation comes from outside of your organisation? Should the idea by scraped due to lack of traction or be pushed harder because they ‘don’t get it’? That is what I see as the big dilemma.
Interesting point!