Leading Thoughts for April 2, 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:

Frank Barrett on Provocative Competence:

“Leadership as design activity means creating space, sufficient support, and challenge so that people will be tempted to grow on their own. The goal is the opposite of conformity: a leader’s job is to create the discrepancy and dissonance that trigger people to move away from habitual positions and repetitive patterns. I’ve come to think of this key leadership capacity as ‘provocative competence.’”

Source: Yes to the Mess: Surprising Leadership Lessons from Jazz

Jeff Brown and Mark Fenske on self-awareness:

“Developing your sense of Self-Awareness not only helps you gauge how you are likely to react in a given situation, but it can also provide some in-sight into the people around you. Having a stable sense of self can therefore ground you in situations when many other circumstances are beyond your immediate control.”

Source: The Winner's Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success

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

View the full article