On a daily basis, is your goal to stand out from the crowd, or blend right into the wallpaper and avoid any attention?

Often times we may find ourselves at this juncture and more often than not we tend to side with the choices that don’t rock the boat or draw attention. It can mean something as small as not speaking your opinion in a meeting or can have much larger implications by deciding not to share an idea with the team.

Our decision (subconscious or not) signals a lack of confidence – either in the idea itself or in our ability to explain or defend it. We quietly shoot the idea down in our head and never give it the opportunity to see the light of day. This rationalization is selfish and detrimental not just to our development, but to the mission that we aim to support.

Our job as change makers (insert “social entrepreneurs” if it makes you feel better) is to challenge previous thinking and to solve issues that have not been addressed with currently available tools. Blending in or towing the line is not in the job description.

Bryan discussed the concept of persistence in yesterday’s Sunday Morning Coffee, and it rings true for deciding to speak up. Sure, every idea or piece of feedback you offer will not be a home run, but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t need to take credit for the biggest idea – you need to be a part of the process to identify the biggest idea. Your thought just might inspire someone else and lead the brainstorm in a direction you had never thought.

Try it out this week: stand out and be different…not just for the sake of being different, but because it is who you truly are.

- Chris