đ€ Quotable quotes: "The one sin I have come to fear more than any other is certainty. Certainty is the great enemy of unity. Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance."
â Conclave
The Sin of Certainty: Why Being Sure Can Hold You Back
Now, weâre not in the business of ranking sins (weâll leave that to the theologians), but this line hits hard.
Certaintyâespecially the unshakable, unmovable kindâcan be a real problem.
It makes us dig in.
Stops us from listening.
Turns differences into battle lines instead of opportunities for connection.
And Ted Lasso, as he so often does, put it more simply:
âBe curious, not judgmental.â
(And if you just heard that in Jason Sudeikisâs voice, weâre on the same page.)
đ The Dart Scene (and a Lesson in Leadership)
Take the infamous dart scene.
Rupert was so certain Ted was a bumbling fool, he didnât bother asking a single question.
If he had, he mightâve learned Ted had been throwing darts with his dad every Sunday since he was a kid.
Instead, Rupertâs certainty cost him the matchâand a whole lot of pub cred.
The same thing happens in leadership.
When we act like we have all the answers, we stop seeking them.
When we assume we know someone, we stop seeing them.
When we choose certainty over curiosity, we shrink our capacity to grow, connect, and lead.
And itâs sneaky. Certainty can disguise itself as confidence. It can sound like:
âIâve been doing this for 20 years.â
âThatâs just how itâs done.â
âThis is the way weâve always done it.â
Three things to reflect on:
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Certainty feels safe, but curiosity builds bridges.
Think of a time you were totally convinced you were right. What happened when you left room for another perspective? -
Certainty says, âIâve already got this figured out.â Curiosity asks, âWhat am I missing?â
Spoiler alert: thereâs always something missing. Whatâs a question you havenât asked yet? -
Curiosity isnât passiveâitâs powerful.
Being curious doesnât mean you lack conviction. It means youâre strong enough to consider that thereâs more to the story.
(And thereâs always more to the story.)
Certainty locks us into one way of thinking.
Curiosity cracks the door open.
And if Lead It Like Lasso has taught us anything, itâs this:
Leadership is about leaving that door openâand inviting people in.
More leadership musings
đȘ Biscuits with the Boss: Whatâs something you used to be 100% certain about⊠but later changed your mind?
(And what did that shift teach you?)
đ Whistle. Whistle. A little Roy Kent Tough Love Advice:
If you think youâve got it all figured out, youâve already stopped growing. Youâre not a bloody statueâmove. Question. Evolve. And for the love of leadership, stop pretending âbecause I said soâ is a good reason.
đBeardâs collection:
đ Grant, Adam. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Donât Know. Viking, 2021.
An essential read for anyone who wants to lead with curiosity over certainty. Grant shows us why rethinking is just as important as thinkingâand how changing your mind can be a sign of wisdom, not weakness.
đ Berger, Warren. A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas. Bloomsbury, 2014.
This book is a celebration of curiosity. Berger dives into how asking the right kinds of questionsânot having all the answersâleads to innovation, better leadership, and meaningful change.
đ Schwarz, Roger. Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams: How You and Your Team Can Grow and Succeed Together. Jossey-Bass, 2013.
This oneâs a game-changer. Schwarz helps leaders move from âcertainty modeâ to a mindset of mutual learningâwhere transparency, curiosity, and flexibility drive real collaboration. A great pick for leaders ready to model humility and build trust.
đ This week in Here - There - Every Fâing where
Dan Wolfe and Angel Hernandez at Pasco County Public Schools get a big thanks for Believing in how to Lead it Like Lasso. We got to enjoy their final professional development session (Zoom-style) for their book study. We loved the support and the questions. Thanks for having us!
See you next week,
Nick & Marnie
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