Crazy ideas don’t always win – but sometimes they do.
Here are some ideas that when I first saw them, I thought they were crazy.
Laddered hosiery – by Gucci – priced at $190 a pair. Can you believe that? I no longer need to throw out my laddered stockings.
Sterling silver paper clip by Tiffany’s – priced at $200. Hmmm… I thought my regular aluminium ones work quite well.
Asymmetrical sunglasses. Very interesting! So where do you look – at the square or circle part when you’re speaking to someone who’s wearing these? I think this could mess with my brain.
I find these items intriguing. There’s a market for crazy ideas. These things sell!
Sometimes a brand carries enough weight for people to trust it and buy unusual products. Sometimes these are the exact products that speak to people who are different and unique and want to show that to the world. Sometimes it’s a stroke of luck to bring out the right idea at the right time.
It begins with having a clear brand and making sure that your crazy ideas align with it.
And sometimes, an idea that has a strong business case, can bring you down. Just like the Super League idea that came out to the public (after being developed for years) and dissolved within a week of being launched. This idea had the potential to make a ton of money but it went against what soccer clubs stand for as a brand, creating loss of trust and public outcry.
The lesson?
Go for the crazy, big ideas. They do often pay off.
And, at the same time…
- Check if it aligns with your brand
- Encourage dissenting voices – ask people to challenge your thinking. Ask – why is this a bad idea? Why won’t it work?
- Listen to what people around you are saying, not only the people who agree with you.
Big ideas, crazy ideas need to be challenged to test their robustness… Can they hold up against criticism, disappointment by fans? Can they enhance your brand or will they harm it?
Last week, I facilitated a strategy session which was truly inspiring. One thing that unified the team was how much they care about the business and the impact the business is having in the community. This strategy session was about impact, not just growth.
At the end of the 1st day, we went around the room and asked participants to share what stood out for them from this day. There was a resounding sense of unity and alignment. In fact, most participants felt that to reach alignment in a group of 20 people was an experience they hadn’t had before in a strategy session.
And then the CEO stood up and said, “It’s great to have alignment because we need it to take the company forward but it’s not enough. I want to hear the voices of dissent. I want to be challenged. I want to hear from those who disagree because then we can know our strategy will hold water against the challenges too! So let’s remember to challenge and alignment is about choosing the path forward even if we don’t all agree.”
Powerful words. Alignment is important. By encouraging the challengers to speak freely, alignment becomes even more powerful and it sticks.
For this reason, CEOs need to work with a coach. A coach is that voice that helps you challenge your thinking and your regular patterns of behavior so that you can build strong leadership habits to be a truly extraordinary leader. Are you ready
Click here and let me know what you think.
How do you create space for dissenting voices in your business?
And here’s this week’s podcast episode.