"The opportunity for creativity begins the moment we don't know what we are doing." - Simon Sinek
What you'll learn
Have you ever found yourself in a leadership situation where you simply didn't know what to do next? Perhaps you were facing an unprecedented challenge, navigating unfamiliar territory, or confronting a problem with no obvious solution. If so, you're not alone – and surprisingly, this moment of uncertainty might be your greatest leadership opportunity.
The Paradox of Leadership
Leadership is often portrayed as a position of certainty. Many believe leaders should have all the answers, chart clear paths forward, and never show doubt. This is a damaging myth that not only creates immense pressure but also stifles the very creativity and adaptability that exceptional leadership requires.
The truth is that leadership isn't about knowing all the answers – it's about creating a compelling vision of the future and inspiring others to join you in bringing it to life. This inherently involves venturing into the unknown, which is why at Phoenix, we often describe leadership as "MSU" – Making Stuff Up. Not in a deceptive way, but in the sense that leadership is fundamentally a creative process of imagining possibilities that don't yet exist.
When "I Don't Know" Becomes a Superpower
When you reach the edge of your knowledge and experience as a leader, you have two choices:
Pretend to know the answer - defaulting to what's worked before, regardless of whether it fits the current situation
Embrace the unknown - acknowledging uncertainty and opening yourself to creative possibilities
The leaders who choose the second path unlock tremendous potential. Here's why:
Innovation Emerges from Uncertainty
Consider some of the most innovative companies and their leadership approaches. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he didn't have a detailed roadmap for how to save the company. He embraced uncertainty while holding a clear vision of creating products that would delight customers. This combination of purpose and openness to possibility led to revolutionary products that transformed multiple industries.
Psychological Safety Flows from Authenticity
When leaders pretend to have all the answers, they create environments where team members feel they must also pretend to know everything. This shuts down honest communication, creativity, and learning. Conversely, leaders who can say "I don't know, but let's figure it out together" create psychological safety that empowers their teams to bring their best thinking forward.
As one healthcare CEO we worked with discovered, admitting uncertainty during the pandemic created a surprising shift in his leadership team. Rather than causing panic, his candor about the unprecedented challenges they faced invited collaborative problem-solving that produced far better solutions than he could have devised alone.
From Uncertainty to Purposeful Creation
While uncertainty is the birthplace of creativity, leaders still need structure to transform ambiguity into meaningful action. Here's how to harness the creative potential of uncertainty:
1. Distinguish Between Purpose and Methodology
Effective leaders maintain absolute clarity about their purpose while remaining flexible about methodology. Your "why" should be unwavering, but your "how" should adapt as you learn. As one manufacturing leader we coached puts it: "I'm completely committed to where we're going, but I'm willing to change how we get there a thousand times if necessary."
2. Create From Purpose, Not Fear
When facing uncertainty, our default success strategies often kick in. These fear-based responses limit our creative potential by keeping us in familiar patterns. Instead of asking "What should I do?" from a place of anxiety, transform the question to "What do I want to create?" from a place of purpose.
3. Embrace Rapid Prototyping
When you don't know what will work, try small experiments. A regional bank president we worked with needed to transform their customer experience but wasn't sure how. Rather than launching a massive initiative, they created three small "pilot branches" to test different approaches. This rapid prototyping mindset allowed them to learn quickly and expand successful elements across the organization.
4. Lead With Questions, Not Answers
Train yourself to respond to challenges with powerful questions that open possibilities rather than narrow them:
"What might be possible here that we haven't considered?"
"If we knew we couldn't fail, what would we try?"
"What's the opportunity within this challenge?"
5. Narrate the Journey
Help your team understand that uncertainty is part of the creative process, not a sign of failure. A school superintendent we coached regularly discusses with her leadership team how they're "building the plane while flying it" during their transformation initiative. This narrative helps normalize the discomfort of uncertainty while maintaining momentum.
The Competitive Advantage of Creative Leadership
In today's rapidly changing business environment, the ability to lead creatively through uncertainty isn't just nice to have – it's essential for survival. Organizations facing disruption need leaders who can imagine new possibilities rather than cling to outdated playbooks.
The leaders who thrive are those who embrace Simon Sinek's insight that creativity begins when we don't know what we're doing. They understand that leadership isn't about having all the answers, but about asking better questions and creating compelling futures that inspire others to join them on the journey.
Your Leadership Challenge
This week, identify one area where you've been avoiding uncertainty or pretending to know the answer. Practice saying "I don't know yet, but here's what I'm thinking..." and notice how this creates space for creativity and collaboration.
Remember that your team doesn't need you to be perfect – they need you to be authentic, purposeful, and willing to venture into the unknown with clarity of vision and openness to possibility.
The next time you find yourself thinking, "I don't know what to do," recognize that you're standing at the threshold of your greatest creative leadership opportunity.
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