Your Safest Idea? It’s Giving Beige.
Why your scariest ideas are the only ones worth pitching.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat in front of my laptop, staring at a pitch or a proposal, thinking, This is too much. Too big. Too weird. Too…me.
It’s funny how quickly we convince ourselves to shrink. Even when we know better. Even when our gut is saying, This is the one.
Here’s the truth most people won’t say out loud:
The ideas that make your voice shake are almost always the ones worth sharing.
But in creative leadership, especially if you’ve been around corporate rooms long enough, we learn to round off the edges. We dilute. We edit ourselves until the thing we’re pitching is so safe, so polished, so unoffensive… it doesn’t mean much to anyone.
It took me a long time to realize that playing it safe doesn’t earn you trust. It earns you invisibility.
Playing It Safe Is Overrated
Safe ideas are comfortable. You can package them neatly and slip them into a meeting agenda without anyone blinking. They don’t ruffle feathers. They also don’t create impact.
When you’re trying to build something remarkable, a brand, a culture, a movement, safe ideas will starve you.
What actually resonates? The thing you almost deleted. The version you were scared to say. The edge you kept editing down because you thought it made you look unqualified or unprofessional.
Your edge is your truth. And people can feel when you’re holding it back.
The Edge Principle
I call this The Edge Principle:
The edge is where all the good stuff is.
Your edge is the place where you stop performing and start telling the truth.
Yes, it feels risky.
Yes, your brain will serve up every possible reason not to go there.
No, you’re not the only one who feels like an imposter when you do.
But the edge is where you build trust, respect, and momentum.
It’s where your best work lives.
A Little Story
A while back, I was working on a pitch for a new tv show all about artists in Los Angeles. Our first draft was… fine. Smart, safe, reasonable. It ticked all the boxes.
Then someone said:
“We could pitch the wild version. The one nobody asked for.”
We spent the next hour building out that “wild” version. It was bolder, riskier, and honestly, way more interesting.
We pitched it, and it became the favorite.
That’s what happens when you let yourself explore the edge.
How to Practice Leading from Your Edge
If you’re feeling imposter syndrome right now, try this:
👉 Say your boldest idea out loud.
To a friend. To your dog. To the notes app on your phone. Just get it out of your head.
👉 Record yourself pitching it.
Even if you never share the recording, you’ll start to see it differently.
👉 Ask yourself: What am I afraid will happen if I say this?
Write down the answer. Nine times out of ten, it’s an old story that doesn’t serve you anymore.
Something Just for You
If you want help practicing this in real time, if you’re ready to lead with less self-censorship and more clarity, I’ve got something for you.
The Creative Thinking Library is a free toolkit I made for leaders and teams who want to get out of their heads and into action. It has 50 prompts to help you pitch, share, and create from the place that feels true (even when it feels risky).
If you’re already a subscriber, your can access it here.
And if you’re ready for deeper support, this is what I do.
Through my Creative Leadership Coaching, I help people like you:
✅ Get clear on the big, bold ideas they’re here to lead with.
✅ Build confidence to pitch them (without diluting the edge).
✅ Design creative practices that feel sustainable and energizing.
If you want to work together, let’s talk.
You don’t have to do this alone.
✨ Your edge is your truth. The world needs it.