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Share Imperfect Ideas

If your org wants to be good at thought leadership,
you need your people to know it’s okay to share 📢 imperfect ideas. 💡

In the past, we’ve talked a little bit about content insecurity,
And how it can keep someone from moving forward. 👟

Your org’s culture and leader’s signals can –
to paraphrase Spinal Tap—
amplify content insecurity to 11! 🎉

Let me explain.

People who practice thought leadership
see the flaws in their own ideas –
perhaps more clearly than anyone else.

They’re wrestle with these hobgoblins 👾 in their mind.
“Is my content smart enough?
“Is it ready to stand on its own?”
“Will others scoff at my ideas?”

Now, think about your org’s #culture.

💯Do your leaders demand perfection?
🧪Or do they encourage small tests and experiments?

When your org requires perfection,
Smart people tie themselves into pretzels 🥨

They don’t practice thought leadership because
they’re afraid of negative consequences.
They see potential downside of “messing up.”
They don’t want to risk:

💶Their annual review / bonus
🔝Their chances of promotion
🤩 Their professional reputation

Content insecurity shuts smart people down.
It’s entirely rational behavior among your best and brightest.
Especially when they know the idea isn’t perfect yet.
Your #leadership and org #culture matter—massively.

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I write about:
#ThoughtLeadership#OrgTL and #Brand