Leading Thoughts for August 13, 2026

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with:

I.

Bill Burnett and Dave Evans on detachment:

“A state of mind that is fully engaged but calmly detached is the best place from which to do design. When you are fully engaged in any task—really buckling down and getting the work done—you have the best chance of unlocking a great solution. However, most of us can’t shake off the fear of a bad outcome, and this tends to stifle our creativity and burden our actions. But when you can cultivate a mindset that is detached from outcomes, which are ultimately out of your control, you are the freest and most creative. When something goes as hoped for, you’re pleased. When something unexpected or negative happens, you’re bemused and happy to learn from the experience (which is why you come to think that just about everything is a prototype).”

Source: How to Live a Meaningful Life: Using Design Thinking to Unlock Purpose, Joy, and Flow Every Day

II.

Gary Hamel on decision-making:

“Paradoxically, as decisions get bigger, the ranks of those able to challenge the decision maker get smaller. Hubris, myopia, and naivete can corrupt decisions at any level, but that risk goes up when the decision maker’s power is, for practical purposes, incontestable. Give someone monarch-like authority, and sooner or later there will be a royal screw-up.”

Source: What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation

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Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index.

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Posted by Michael McKinney at 11:58 AM
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