Make an enemy of certainty and befriend doubt. When you can change your mind, you can change anything.

Kevin Ashton

As Tammy and I sat in church this past Sunday, our minister, Vince Antonucci, began his sermon on a topic not often discussed in many religious services: the importance of doubt. Vince’s insights started me thinking about the importance of doubt — and why we should embrace ours.

Doubt creeps into our thoughts and lives in every regard — not just in religion and the meaning of life. We doubt our abilities as leaders, professionals, and parents. Typically, we try to eliminate all our doubts — but perhaps that is not the best course of action.

Doubt can be a healthy thing. It can help us examine our viewpoints and question whether they are accurate. Doubt can also lead to greater confidence because we know that we have thought through our positions and are not just blindly following them.

However, doubt can also be confusing and frustrating. It can make us feel like we are not good enough or are not progressing. If doubt is constant, it can lead to anxiety and paralysis.

“If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.” ― Francis Bacon

Here are three steps to dealing with doubt:

1. Acknowledge your doubt. Everyone has doubts at times. Doubt is a normal part of the human experience. When you find yourself doubting your abilities, it is crucial first to acknowledge the feeling. Do not try to push the doubt away or ignore it. Just accept that it is there and allow yourself to feel it.
2. Examine your doubt. Once you have acknowledged your doubt, you can then examine it. Examining your doubt means thinking through why you feel doubtful and what is causing the worry or fear.
   • What is causing you to doubt yourself?
   • Is there evidence to support your doubt?
   • Or is your doubt based on irrational thoughts?
   • Is there a specific event or situation that is making you question things? Or is it more generalized anxiety?
     1. Try to identify the source of the doubt and explore it further.
3. Find a balance. Once you have examined your doubt, you can then work on finding a balance. It is essential to have some doubts in order to question our perspectives and ideas. But too much doubt can lead to paralysis and anxiety. Try to find the middle ground where you can listen to your doubts, but also trust yourself and your abilities.

It’s not my goal to make a political statement here, but I have to wonder if a bit of doubt and questioning of himself might have served Mr. Putin well in the current crisis. Many outside observers believe that he entered the current conflict with overwhelming (and inaccurate) certainty. It is also reported that he surrounds himself with “yes-men and women” who refuse to question or challenge his ideas and perspectives.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis, John Kennedy constantly challenged his advisors to offer contradictory viewpoints. He embraced doubt and rejected his Generals when they presented approaches with abject certainty. He relentlessly played the “what if” game with his team to analyze every possible move and potential response. The result is the world was spared a nuclear war.

Learn to listen to your doubts and question them. But also learn to trust yourself and your abilities.

It’s not that iconic professionals and leaders are without doubts. Instead, they know how to embrace and leverage their doubts into greater productivity and performance.