I’ve seen a lot of smart people 💡 practice thought leadership
and there’s a common place people get tripped up. 👟
It doesn’t matter who you are:
🏅 Seasoned c-level execs
🔍 In-house experts
📖 B-school academics
I’ve heard them all (privately) ask a difficult question.
“Is this idea good enough?” 🤔💭
It’s an important question to ask.
We want to put out good ideas.
But the smarter and more successful you get
the more your pride can get in the way.
You stop wanting “good” ideas.
And expect every idea to be a great idea.
Well, that’s not how it works.
Content insecurity is the constant urge to revise and revise ✏️
an idea until it’s perfect. ⭐
Then, and only then, can it be “published”
(shared with the outside world).
I’d say the majority of people who practice thought leadership on a professional level
have wrestled with content insecurity at least once.
Some world-class practitioners wrestle with it for much of their career.
It’s an internal demon 👺, constantly telling us, “It could be better!”
as well as a need for external support and approval.
That’s why I treat content insecurity as separate from psychological safety.
I’ve worked with a lot of super smart people
who question the value of their best ideas.
At first, I thought it was unusual.
Now, I see it as very, very common.
But the more you hide ⛅an idea away
The less you’ll push it forward.
There comes a point when you need input, critique, and discussion
It’s like polishing, and it makes an idea shine. ☀️
So, get out there!
Share your ideas.
Watch them take root and thrive.
You’ll be glad you did.
Not every idea needs to be “great.”
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I write about
#ThoughtLeadership #OrgTL and #Brand