Telling a joke we know everyone will laugh at isn’t hard. It worked yesterday in Cleveland, so there’s a really good chance it will work today in Boise. We can make a nice living sticking with things which are proven to work. The same magic trick works too, as long as the audience changes. But, the trick itself, the joke...they're the same. And with relative certainty, so are the outcomes.
It turns out, the majority of people want the comfort of same. They want the certainty which comes with proven practices...and jokes. They want this at work, at play and at home. They enjoy the safety net of things going to plan. And they're okay with things staying the same as long as there's no harm being felt. But, there's also a subset of people who want something new, and the discomfort and tension which comes with it. This is the group of explorers which want things to change...to get better. This is the group most of us want to serve. These people aren't crazy, reckless or erratic. They simply desire forward motion and place a higher value on the reward of change than the comfort of staying put, even when things are generally okay. And this group is who the new joke is for. This is the group which will applaud the effort and refrain from booing or throwing things at us when the joke isn't understood. They understand this is part of playing the game. Sometimes, the punch line strikes a cord. Other times, it doesn't.
Leaders understand who their leadership is for. It's for people who want the new joke, who understand the journey is the game, and it's okay not to win. Choose who to serve before serving. Choose wisely.