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Jan 7, 2012

"Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise." --William Shakespeare

The Leadership Genius of Bob the Builder

Most of us believe in positive self-talk. "I can achieve anything," we mouth to the mirror in the morning. We believe we'll do better if we banish doubts about our ability or our strategy and instead muster an inner voice that affirms our awesomeness. But not Bob the Builder. You might not realise it, but the overall-clad, stop-motion animated construction executive -- who debuted on CBBC in 1999 and whose television programme now reaches children in 240 territories and 45 languages -- is a management radical. His approach to directing projects, people and himself runs counter to the prevailing wisdom about business performance. Instead of puffing up himself and his team, he first wonders whether they can actually achieve their goal. In asking his signature question -- Can we fix it? -- he introduces some doubt. Renowned author Daniel Pink explains the latest research wisdom behind doubt.