Embrace Naivety, Achieve Growth

I remember it all so vividly—sitting in my car, heading back to the office, when I got the call that changed everything.

The voice on the line told me to turn around, and soon I found myself in a chair, staring at a wall filled with diplomas.

The doctor walked in and said the words no one ever wants to hear: I had cancer.

It was a Friday, and surgery was scheduled for Monday.

That weekend, I was consumed by thoughts of my future.

The "C" word was hanging over me like a dark cloud.

The night before the surgery, I lay in bed wondering if I would wake up to see another day, or if I'd have the chance to fulfill all the dreams I held dear.

Fortunately, I did wake up. Science and medicine were on my side, and the cancer was caught early.

Looking back, my youth and a bit of naivety helped me navigate those turbulent times.

Naivety often gets a bad rap, seen as a lack of knowledge, something the older generations dismiss with a sigh, thinking, "They'll understand one day.”

But there's power in naivety. Regardless of age, experience, or title, naivety can help us avoid blind spots, innovate with the times, deepen relationships, and build more valuable services.

By definition, naivety means lacking experience, wisdom, or judgment. While often perceived negatively, it can be a tremendous asset.

When I was building our technology startup, naivety was viewed as a liability. Investors expected you to have answers, to have thought through every scenario, and to have a plan.

Phrases like "We'll figure it out along the way" or "We'll test and iterate" didn't sit well with investors. Without a tight pro-forma or a detailed growth plan, naivety seemed to block funding opportunities.

Yet, naivety is essential when starting a business. Not knowing how difficult the journey will be allows entrepreneurs to focus on their purpose rather than getting bogged down by process.

Naivety lets us dream beyond current realities and push boundaries once thought impenetrable. It fosters creativity and innovation, which are crucial for true progress.

In today's world, cynicism often trumps naivety.

While naivety is deemed a liability, cynicism is seen as an asset, a sign of critical thinking and realism. But excessive cynicism stifles new ideas and change, dismissing innovation as unrealistic or unworkable.

Cynicism may seem intellectually superior, but it often leads to overthinking and suboptimal outcomes. In contrast, naivety can uncover new ways of doing things and lead to groundbreaking ideas.

We all despise uncertainty. In an attempt to control outcomes, we dive into situations, seeking expertise, creating action plans, and constantly analyzing and adjusting. This over-analysis makes us feel in control, but it can overwhelm us, cause us to see even greater complexity with even more insights that counter each other. We search for what is right, but end up finding what is gray. And this all leads to decisions that are less than optimal.

Naivety is scary because it means giving up control, trusting the process or others, and acknowledging that "it is what it is." It feels uncomfortable, especially with significant decisions, like health-related ones. We want to know and control the outcome, so we research, consult experts, and try to find all the answers.

But often, this only causes more harm. Outcomes are largely out of our control, and a perfect process does not guarantee a perfect result. So many unknowns can occur between an action and a result. As a golfer, I can execute a perfect swing, yet a gust of wind could send the ball into a water hazard. Should I change my swing because of that? No.

We must strive to gain knowledge, but find an ability to also cultivate naivety to ensure we seek all options, not just what our past experiences have presented us. There is a balance to be had and we must find it.

Steve Jobs exemplified a leader who cultivated naivety. The man was a genius and surely had the answers, but he didn’t lead that way. It is well known that he would walk into meetings and and start asking dumb questions. He would question the norms. This line of questioning would seem lame, but would ultimately lead to exploring new options and expose underlying assumptions that were being made. And these questions would open new ways of thinking and developing and ultimately lead the company in new directions.

Aristotle put it great in saying that he believed that while expertise provides knowledge and skills, it can also lead to narrow-minded thinking and hinder creativity. On the other hand, innocence can provide fresh perspectives and unconstrained thinking, but it can also result in unrealistic or unworkable ideas.

In wealth management, we are seen as the experts. Our value is built on expertise, and as we gain experience and positive results, we naturally lean into this expertise. However, this can lead us to become cynical, shutting down new ideas or ways of doing things.

Embracing naivety can humanize us, helping us connect more deeply with team members and clients. We all have encountered people who seem to have all the answers, which can make us shut down and feel inferior. But when someone with experience engages with humility and vulnerability, we open up and connect more deeply.

We are in the business of relationships in a constantly evolving industry, with shifting trends in technology, access to information, and regulation. We must remain nimble, humble, and open-minded, balancing our experience and knowledge with an openness to naivety.

Naivety can be your superpower!