The Advantage You Forgot You Had
8 August 2025
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities. In the expert’s, few.”
, Shunryu Suzuki
Expertise is powerful. Until it becomes a prison.
The more we know, the more we expect.
The more we assume, the more we narrow what’s possible.
In the expert’s mind, there are few options.
In the beginner’s mind, everything is still open.
Beginner’s thinking isn’t about pretending you’re new.
It’s about staying open, curious, and humble, no matter how experienced you are.
Try these in your next meeting or coaching session:
Ask one “obvious” question no one else is asking
Invite ideas and perspectives, without jumping to evaluate them
Say: “Let’s assume we know nothing. What might we try?”
This mindset unlocks:
Innovation over inertia
Listening over certainty
Learning over defending
In complex work, it’s not the cleverest answer that makes everything clear.
It’s be the clearest lens.
Return to beginner’s mind.
That’s where breakthroughs begin.
Remember, the journey to extraordinary is taken with a thousand small steps, you’re doing great!
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Barry Marshall-Graham
Executive coach and leadership advisor
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