lead by letting go

What is your job? If you’re in sales, you may think it’s to get customers. If you’re in production, you’d say it’s to run a machine or some other piece of equipment.

In their book, Mavericks at Work, Bill Taylor and Polly Labarge write about how work itself is changing, what it means to be employed, and what it means to do something productive.

They profile Dan Wieden, co-founder of Wieden + Kennedy, one of the world’s most distinguished independent advertising agencies. Wieden wrote the now famous “Just Do It” tag for Nike.

Wieden argues, and I agree with him, ‘that his job is to “walk in stupid every day” – to keep challenging the organization, and himself, to seek out unexpected ideas, outside influences, and new perspectives on old problems.’ For corporate leader to talk like this is so refreshing.

He goes on to say, ‘It’s the hardest thing to do as a leader, but it’s the most important thing. Whatever day it is, something in the world changed overnight, and you better figure out what it is and what it means. You have to forget what you just did and what you just learned. You have to walk in stupid every day.’

This captures the philosophy and mind-set of what I like to call (un)learning.