I Don't Know.

Crises happen when we least expect them.?

Remember just less than a year ago Coronavirus was raging, the markets plummeted, oil prices crashed and entire countries were on the verge of bankruptcy. Now it's a new war in Europe, looming global food crisis, energy supply shortages, and continuous extreme weather events.

What are we to do when disruption happens?

When the covid-19 hit, I was getting calls from CEOs from very different countries, industries, and environments, all asking me the same question.

"What should I say? I don't know what to do, it's too uncertain. So what should I say to my people, my investors, my partners?"

Hearing this question brought me right back to 2015.?

I was working with a company in crisis trying to survive while the whole industry was struggling.

Amidst sleepless nights and intense projects, I noticed one peculiar thing.

The CEO was (and still is) a very bright, kind, and effective person.?But here, he would consistently raise his voice and become agitated and unproductive with seemingly reasonable questions and requests.

So, I asked him, "What's up?"

"I don't know what to do. I don't know what to tell them when they all come to me for answers. So, I don't have any good answers, I get angry, and it spills over."

Wow.

A kind, successful, all-around bad-ass professional was doing something extremely unproductive.

So, I told him.?

"Why do you think you always need to know the answer??Why can't you just say 'I don't know' - and turn the question back to the one asking it, figure it out together?"

Years later, he still tells me THAT has changed his life.

If you follow me on social media, you know that I have worked on reinvention with top executives from some amazing global companies around Europe and Asia in the past year. We have also ran a free online Easy Reinvention Lab workshop that some 6,000 participants from all over the world went through.

And as we were wrapping up insights from consulting projects and the Reinvention Lab, I kept asking what was the #1 insight my clients and participants were taking home.

One of the most frequent answers? "It's OK to say 'I don't know.'"

The power of 4 words: I DON'T KNOW.

Allowing yourself to admit that you don't know is perhaps one of the most courageous and revolutionary acts of leadership in the middle of a storm.

?"I don't know" frees you from the false security of past success and 'best practice' - as what saved you last time can be exactly what destroys you today.

?"I don't know" invites you to see the world with fresh and open eyes.

?"I don't know" allows your team, your partners, and your community to do the same - as you become a role model for so many.

?"I don't know" shows the level of confidence, self-awareness, and authenticity that brings about real trust.

And, most importantly, "I don't know" releases all the energy you are currently spending on keeping up the illusion.?

The fa?ade.?

The "I'm fully in control, I know what's going on" pretence.

?? ??You can breathe out now.

I don't know.

You don't know.?

In a world that's so volatile and uncertain, nobody knows.?

Not even the most admired expert, guru, or star.

So, we can stop wasting all that energy on keeping up a fake sense of certainty.

We don't know.?

And now that we are free from the pretence and keeping up the appearances, we will figure it out. Together.

It's time to say it out loud and roll up our sleeves. Want to join our upcoming free live Easy Reinvention Lab??

Aug 29 - Sep 2

https://www.learn2reinvent.com/lab