How can you move past what you think you know?
Michelle Awuku-Tatum
Partner with organizations to transform leadership practices, creating cultures where people thrive personally & teams deliver exceptional results ? Executive & Team Coach ? Follow for posts on human-centered leadership.
The idea of “knowingness” comes up a lot in my work, particularly as it relates to confidence and being perceptive. This type of?self-knowingness comes from understanding one's own capabilities, character, feelings, or motivations.
Knowingness, as described by Jonathan Lear in his book?Open Minded (1998), refers to?an unconscious resistance to understanding.?As Lear explains, the stance of "already knowing" acts as a defense mechanism, which can prevent you from seeking new knowledge or insights. Consider this:
We?touched on this?in February, but outsized knowingness is a blindspot that gets in the way of a certain level of vulnerability that can then unlock unrealized possibilities. Namely,?moving away from knowingness can open us up to curiosity, and curiosity allows us to explore the unknown and reveal our true potential.?
This year’s London Marathon brought together an extraordinary lineup of women marathon and distance runners, forming an unparalleled field and ultimately exemplifying what can happen when we shift from knowingness to curiosity. Sifan Hassan entered the race clearly knowing herself and her capabilities, limitations, and feelings: “No, no, I’m not the greatest,” she?said. “I’m just OK. And I don’t need to become the greatest. I’m fine the way I am.” Once she was in the race, however, she decided to run with an open mind, and she surprised herself — by?WINNING.?
Coaching Epiphanies
Sifan Hassan shows us how to push past knowingness and explore?what if. Let’s walk through some of the lessons learned from witnessing not just her greatness but also her genuine curiosity.?
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In the end, Hassan’s curiosity won over her self-doubt. She took the pressure off and found the energy, fun, and lightness in not knowing.
Black-Led Leadership
When you already know (or think you know), there is nothing new or exciting to learn. This is true in life, and it’s definitely true at work. In supporting Black leaders and their professional development, I often uplift?the power of positive self-talk?— which Jazmin Sawyers, a professional long jumper, did so nicely before she soared 7 feet to win the gold at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in March. Self-doubt — especially when disrupting knowingness — is real, so it’s important that the words that we say to ourselves are encouraging. Some of the most empowering soliloquies happen when no one else is around to hear. If curiosity is the ocean, positive self-talk is the life-preserver ring keeping you afloat.
I invite you to embrace the power of moving past what you think you know. Taking a moment to reflect on and apply the lessons learned from Hassan and Sawyer can be a powerful tool for growth and development as a leader. Stay curious, stay open, and find the energy, fun, and lightness in not knowing.
Thank you for reading!
With love and support,
Michelle
Creative Director
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CEO | Global Revenue Leader | Public Company Board Director
1 年What a wonderful piece!!! Thank you!