The Surprising Power of Not Knowing What to Do

Do you know how a vaccine works? A vaccine doesn't eliminate the disease or cure those who have been infected. A vaccine trains the immune system to make us less susceptible to a disease. Recent events have infected us with a malaise against which we need inoculation. It feels as though the foundations of civil society that anchor our identities and our aspirations have come unmoored. When our bedrock assumptions are threatened, we become susceptible to arrogant leaders, conspiracy theorists, and purveyors of snake oil. Adrift, we are grateful for any port in a storm. We look outside ourselves for answers—any answers—when what we need is a way to fortify our ability to access creativity and compassion amid the turbulence. This book is not a prescription for what ails us but more like a fitness routine for thinking and feeling. You'll read about techniques that protect you and those you serve from becoming paralyzed by limited and misguided thinking. Many of the examples and stories in this book are drawn from decades of experience helping leaders and their organizations overcome challenges and pursue opportunities. But leaders aren't the only people who become stuck. The book opens with insights into how and why we get stuck. Part Two makes the counterintuitive claim that in uncertain times, focusing on what to do limits creativity and com- passion. Part Three describes four thinking disciplines that, when consistently practiced, help us form insights and dis- cover options even in turbulent and chaotic times. I wrote this book for people who are feeling disoriented and stuck. I invite you to embrace the surprising power of not knowing what to do—to become not like a beginner but to become a true beginner, one who can see abundant possibilities because you are no longer a captive of assumptions the world has left behind.