High-Stakes Leadership

Chapter 6

Bold Discernment

I confess a fascination with Warby Parker, the eyeglasses company. In his terrific book Originals, Adam Grant writes about the company, the founders, and his regrettable decision not to invest in the start-up. Grant confesses, “I was stuck in the default mindset of how glasses were traditionally bought and sold.”¹ While his thinking was mired in the status quo, we can thank him for not only admitting it, but also for examining the decisions of the founders that led to their success.

In starting the company, the founders first rejected the default position that Grant admits trapped him. The default position is something we accept as “just the way it is.” Questioning this mind-set can lead to creativity and innovation, ...