I've been engaged in a couple of leadership seminars and conversations recently that have reminded me of a powerful lesson for leaders that also translates very well into life in general. It's the power of embracing an experimentation mentality, or to put it more simply, "Hmm...Let's Try It!"
Did you know that one of the primary obstacles to forward movement and gaining a sense of momentum is perfection? We try and find the perfect solution, the perfect next step, the perfect answer to this question or that problem. We can get so caught up in trying to find the perfect, exact, "right" thing, that we end up not actually doing anything! Our search for perfection puts us in a cycle of spinning our wheels and not moving forward at all.
Now don't get me wrong, I think we need to be very strategic about thinking through options and choices for solving problems and taking next steps. So, I am not advocating at all for just trying the first idea that comes to mind. What I am suggesting is that at some point, some kind of action, even if it is imperfect, is going to be better than just continuing to spend more time trying to find the "right" solution.
This is where embracing an experimentation mindset can be extremely helpful. We think about what's in front of us. We consider possible options and next steps. We process various outcomes and ramifications of all of those choices. And we realize that despite our best efforts and work on those hypotheticals, since it's all going to unfold in the future out in front of us, there is no way to predict it all with total certainty! So, we act on the best options we can decipher with an attitude of experimentation. "This seems like the best option, so Let's Try It and see what happens. And of course, we will be ready to make adjustments along the way as the journey continues!" By embracing an experimentational perspective, we keep moving forward and don't get caught spinning our wheels looking for perfection.
Where could you benefit from embracing an experimentation mentality? Are you currently stuck in a problem because you are trying to find the perfect solution? What would it look like to try something, so you are moving forward? Would it help to remember that it's still possible to make changes and adjustments as you keep moving forward, so you don't have to find the prefect solution from the very beginning?
Here's to embracing an experimentation mindset this week. "Hmm...Let's Try It!"
Be Well,
Stephen
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