How to Be Awesome at Your Job

1151: How to Harness the Surprising Power of Ignorance with Alan Gregerman

May 11, 2026·44 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Alan Gregerman shares why the right kind of ignorance is the secret to driving innovation.— YOU’LL LEARN — 1) How to challenge assumptions that are keeping you stuck2) Why not knowing can often lead to better solutions3) Six ways to unlock ignorance as a superpowerSubscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1151 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT ALAN — Alan Gregerman is an internationally renowned authority on business strategy, innovation, and hidden potential who has been called “one of the most original thinkers in business today” and “the Robin Williams of business consulting.”As the president and chief innovation officer of Washington, D.C.-based consultancy VENTURE WORKS, a bestselling author, and a sought-after keynote speaker, he focuses on helping companies and organizations unlock the genius in all of their people in order to deliver the most compelling value to their customers. He is also the founder of Passion for Learning, an award-winning nonprofit that teaches girls technology skills as a key to life and career success.His three previous books—The Necessity of Strangers, Surrounded by Geniuses, and Lessons from the Sandbox—challenge conventional thinking about people, the world around us, what it means to be remarkable, and where brilliant ideas actually come from. He’s also the author of the critically acclaimed blog Surrounded by Geniuses.• Book: The Wisdom of Ignorance: Why Not Knowing Can Be the Key to Innovation in an Uncertain World• LinkedIn: Alan Gregerman• Website: AlanGregerman.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Around the World in Eighty Days (Macmillan Collector's Library) by Jules Verne• Book: Don Quixote by Miguel De Cervantes• TED Talk: Why I train grandmothers to treat depression | Dixon Chibanda• Book: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Scribe. Book a personalized enterprise demo with scribe.how/awesome• Narwhal. Treat your home to spotless, fresh floors with us.narwhal.com/pete.• Monarch.com. Get 50% off your first year on with the code AWESOME.• Shopify. Sign up for your $1/month trial at Shopify.com/awesomepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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