Show Up Stupid

Confusion becomes opportunity when you show up stupid.

Pretending you know is self-sabotage.

4 Dangers for Know-It-All Leaders

1. Lost credibility. Smoke-blowers become obvious with time. The more smoke you blow, the less credible you become.
2. Limited influence. Influence evaporates when words are hot air.
3. Persistent ignorance. When you pretend to know, you begin to believe you know. Fake certainty is real ignorance.
4. Missed opportunities. You’re stagnant when you run from confusion.

7 Ways to Show Up Stupid

1. Assume you don’t know. Learners grow; know-it-alls don’t. “My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions.” Peter Drucker
2. Normalize “not knowing.” Begin meetings by asking, “What are you learning?”
3. Practice humility. Say, “I hadn’t thought of that. Tell me more.”
4. Learn from others. Invite people who know more than you into conversations.
5. Take notes. Writing is thinking. Record observations and questions. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, is a notorious note taker.
6. Expose blind spots. Ask, “What am I missing?” after you say what you know.
7. Honor people who ask questions. You get what you honor.

What’s dangerous about pretending to know?

How might leaders show up stupid in a leaderly way?

Stop Working Hard to Remain Stupid – Leadership Freak (From 14 years ago)

Good Stupid or Bad Stupid You Choose – Leadership Freak

Why Feeling Stupid is Great: How stupidity fuels scientific progress and discovery – Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Laboratory