One of my guiding principles when I run individual coaching for leaders who transition into a new position is inspired by Malcolm Gladwell.
“Hamlet got it all wrong! Hamlet was someone whose doubting made him incapable of acting. Hamlet was frozen. To be or not to be. Hamlet had it backwards. Doubts should free you because once you have accepted that you do not know what happens next and that you can’t predict or plan everything in your life then you are freIe to act. What’s holding you back? What is there to be afraid of? You have given up the illusion of knowing what could possibly happen.”
For a long time leaders have been put in the position of, or put themselves in the position of, being the “Know it all- Know what to do- Just follow me” guy: mission impossible. And it puts everyone at risk.
Especially when you are in innovation exploration mode, know what you know and know what you do not know. Have the guts to say “I do not know, but we will figure it out.”