"You can't fix what you refuse to see clearly."
I've never liked soft-focus films or blurred photographs. They conceal the real, the raw, the imperfect. They offer a false lens on dreams, visions, and the work of engaging reality. In a world obsessed with curating perfection, clarity has become radical. And nowhere is this more urgent than in leadership.
The Business Context: Execution is no longer about having the right methods or tools. It’s about having the right mindset. Yet in today’s corporate culture—increasingly shaped by risk aversion, social validation, and institutional safeguards—the act of taking initiative has become the exception rather than the norm. Not because the ideas aren’t good, but because the context discourages action.
Recent data from the DAK-Psychoreport 2023 reveals that 43% of working professionals feel overwhelmed by others' expectations. Even more telling: 61% are primarily worried about making mistakes when taking on new tasks—not about the potential impact of their work. The result? A quiet epidemic of innovation avoidance.
The Wisdom of Ifá: Reality Requires Courage In the Yoruba tradition, Ifá teaches that Ashé—the power to make things happen—is rooted not in certainty, but in alignment and intent. Ashé doesn't wait for validation. It does not fear imperfection. It acts, reflects, adjusts. And that is where most modern leadership fails: in its desire to be unassailable, it becomes sterile.
Our systems are built to prevent abuse, but they are increasingly weaponized to avoid responsibility. Layers of governance, feedback mechanisms, and escalation procedures create what might be called a "responsibility firewall." The more visible you are, the greater your risk of critique. So many retreat into invisibility.
Cultural Consequences: We have pathologized imperfection. Early ideas are dismissed instead of developed. First drafts are punished instead of prototyped. According to a 2022 ifo-Institute study, 47% of employees say they hold back at work for fear of embarrassment. This isn’t a personal flaw. This is structural mistrust.
What We Must Reclaim: The crisis isn’t one of competence. It’s a crisis of fortitude. We don’t lack knowledge. We lack the inner resilience to act without assurance.
Three Strategies for Leaders and Entrepreneurs:
Reward Action, Not Just Perfection: Create safe zones for experimentation. Honor the courage to try, even when outcomes aren't guaranteed.
Model Imperfection at the Top: Share early versions. Admit past missteps. Make imperfection part of your leadership narrative.
Redesign Systems to Empower, Not Shield: Ensure that governance mechanisms enable decision-making rather than delay it. Allow people to own their choices.
Final Thought: Responsibility is not a comfort package. It is a burden—and that's what makes it transformative. Organizations that want real results must stop softening reality. Because blurred visions don't build futures.
Engagement Prompt: Where in your organization has risk-aversion replaced responsibility? What would it look like to lead with more Ashé and less assurance?
Sources:
DAK-Psychoreport 2023: https://lnkd.in/epUX_x-v
ifo-Institute (2022): Arbeitswelt und Risikovermeidung https://lnkd.in/ef-nfp3T