Book a call

Rethink - leaving the courage of your convictions

adam grant brene brown learning reflection rethink Apr 28, 2024

Knowing what we don’t know is wisdom. Let that sink in.

We live in a world where we feel like showing we don’t have the answer, or we’re venturing into an area we aren’t experts in is a risk. We worry how we’re going to be perceived, how we’ll be treated, and what impact not having the answers will have on our careers and our credibility.

So what if we were actually brave enough to admit we don’t know, but we’re open to finding out? What if we worked in organisations that saw the true value in trial and error, in honesty and integrity, and really valued the power of learning and the capacity for awe and rethinking things? What if we stopped and we rebuilt, if we questioned and if we just communicated differently? Brene Brown and Adam Grant explore all of this in Brown's podcast, and I honestly cannot get enough.

We need to encourage these conversations, these moments and this permission to rethink. It's how we bring change, growth and opportunity.What does it really mean to be brave and vulnerable? As Grant says, being afraid to meet your goals can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. What is your potential for other things? We can rethink our work life going forward, we don’t have to do what we’ve always done. We can find a place to grow, learn and develop in other spaces. It doesn’t stop us being excellent in the areas we are comfortable in.

“We should all be able to make a long list of areas where we are ignorant… recognizing our shortcomings, opens the door to doubt. As we question our current understanding, we become curious about what information we’re missing. That surge leads us to new discoveries, which in turn maintain our humility by reinforcing how much we still have to learn. If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.” Adam Grant: Think Again

It's left me with more questions than I had to start with, and I think that's the point. I encourage you to challenge the narrative and the story you're telling yourself. Be brave, and think again.