In 1939, Charles Dantzig was a graduate student studying statistics at the University of California, Berkeley. One day, he overslept and arrived late for his professor’s lecture. Assuming that two mathematical equations written on the blackboard were homework assignments, Dantzig copied them down to solve later.

However, the equations were not homework, but two open problems believed to be unsolvable in statistics. Dantzig, unaware of the difficulty, solved them over a few days. He handed in his “homework” to his professor, apologizing for their lateness.

His professor was astonished! Dantzig had discovered the solution that laid the foundation for linear programming, a powerful mathematical tool in various fields, including economics, engineering, and operations research.

The bias of “knowing.”

Have you ever had an idea or inspiration you quickly quashed, believing it to be too hard, far-fetched, or improbable? Imagine the different outcome if Charles Dantzig arrived at the lecture on time and heard along with everyone else how complex these equations were for even the brightest mathematicians of his time to solve.

What is the likelihood that he would have solved them?

When you don’t know what you don’t know, you can actually free yourself to be more brilliant. With no guardrails to reign in your curiosity, you can explore and experiment with options and opportunities you otherwise would think implausible.

Action→ Dumb down.

Our “knowledge” about things can certainly get in the way of achieving what seems out of reach. Think of something you would like to do, say, or explore but have yet to allow yourself to because you’ve already decided it won’t work out favorably. Permit yourself to take a second look, considering the following:

• What negative assumptions am I making about this situation?
• What question would someone new and unbiased to this situation ask?
• How can I focus more on exploring solutions instead of achieving a perfect or favorable outcome?

What this looks like in practice.

Sara Blakely is the founder of Spanx, a company that specializes in shapewear and undergarments. Blakely had a background in sales and marketing but no experience in fashion and manufacturing before she embarked on her entrepreneurial journey.

It all started when Blakely could not find undergarments that gave her a smooth look under white pants. In 1998, with $5,000 in savings, she began working on developing her shapewear products, relying on her ingenuity and resourcefulness to create prototypes.

Despite facing numerous rejections from manufacturers and potential investors, Blakely persevered, eventually launching Spanx in 2000. In October 2021, the Blackstone Group acquired a majority stake in Spanx, Inc., valued at $1.2 billion.

Because Blakely didn’t know what she didn’t know, she forged ahead in her “ignorance,” focusing on filling a need until she succeeded.

I’m not suggesting we can all be like Sara Blakely, but I do think with a little more “ignorance” on our part, we can undoubtedly be more brilliant in ways we could never have imagined.

Until next week, take good care.

Jo-Aynne Von Born. Leadership and Executive Coach