No one likes uncertainty, yet our success may depend on it. In the bestseller, Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing, Jamie Holmes argues that uncertainty and ambiguity are invaluable mindsets in an increasingly complex world. In fact, he wants us to rethink our desire for order and closure, so that we can be better leaders, decision makers, and innovators.

A recent Future Tense Fellow at New America, Jamie has written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Philadelphia Inquirer, CNN, the Huffington Post, POLITICO, the Christian Science Monitor, the New Republic, the Atlantic, Slate, Foreign Policy, and the Daily Beast.

In this episode you will learn:

the reasons why a high tolerance for uncertainty is so valuable right now

the ways we can use uncertainty to avoid bad decisions

how our need for closure and order drives so much of what we do

the value of uncertainty for innovation and creativity

strategies for guarding against negative behaviors associated with certainty

when (and how) to hire employees who thrive on uncertainty

the kinds of leaders we prefer versus need in times of uncertainty

how successful, innovative companies incorporate uncertainty into their business models

what this means for educators and learners

the real-world disorder and chaos associated with innovation, discovery, and creativity

concrete strategies to help students get more comfortable with uncertainty

what a renowned golf instructor can teach us about feedback

the power of travel and bilingualism for building this capacity

the power of reading fiction for helping us strengthen our tolerance for uncertainty

Jamie also shares how uncertainty, ambiguity and not knowing make us better leaders and expand our capacity for innovation and creativity.

Episode Links

Jerome Bruner

Leo Postman

Travis Proulx

Jordan Peterson

Arie Kruglanski

Need for Closure scale

Stalling for Time by Gary Noesner

Ambiguity Intolerance

Zara

Inditex

Amancio Ortega

Jim Lang

Assumption College

Brilliant Blunders by Mario Livio

Bob Christina

Dean Simonton

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