When you take risks, share your work, or lead change, someone will always criticise from the sidelines. Keep building anyway. In this reflection, I explore why courage, curiosity, and creative work need no explanation — only action.
When we jump into the void, we don't have to explain why we're doing it
Hey,
Hope you’re safe and well. It’s been busy here at Lambert Towers as I pull together two new workshops based on the Idea to Value system. Both are already sold — one full-day, one abridged — even though neither yet exists.
No drama. They exist in other forms, and they’re clear in my head. After writing, recording, and editing the video course — and after teaching and doing this work for decades — it’s no big leap to turn it into live training.
I’ll use my trusty laddered “induction” style from Workshop Mastery and weave in plenty of stories to bring it to life.
I’m genuinely pleased that people want this system in "live" workshop form. It means there are now three strands to Idea to Value:
Together, they help people go from idea to value smoothly and cultivate workplaces that enrich the lives of those within them.
I'm posting three free videos from this course on LinkedIn - find the two published ones embedded in this newsletter towards the end of the post.
For those new to the Meeting Notes newsletter, welcome, I’m Rob, ChiefJump Into The Void Officer at Cultivated Management. This newsletter is about mastering the art of going from idea to value - and cultivating a bright future of work.
Jump Into the Void
“He who jumps into the void owes no explanation to those who stand and watch.” — Jean-Luc Godard
After my keynote last week, someone came up and shared some pretty blunt feedback. He thought the story was weak, the characters made up, and the delivery off.
I’ve been doing this long enough to know it happens. There’s always one person who feels compelled to “inflict help” from the sidelines. Most feedback is kind, generous, supportive and constructive. Occasionally, it’s just… well, not very well delivered.
I used to take those moments personally — replaying the words, wondering what I’d done wrong. This kind of inflicted help would wipe me out for days as I dwelled over the negativity.
But I’ve learned something simple: when you stand on stage (or do anything creative), you step into the void. And that act alone changes the conversation and the way "inflicted help" lands.
Sometimes the person watching isn’t wrong — they just haven’t made the same leap yet, and are looking at our work with a different lens. They’re observing (and inflicting help) from safety, not malice or meanness.
So now, instead of defending the jump and pondering the critical "help", I just thank them for noticing that I jumped in the first place. If I hadn't jumped, I realised I wouldn't be receiving "inflicted help" in the first place.
The Work That Speaks for Itself
Over the years, I’ve learned that every creative leap comes with opinions attached from people stood watching.
When my team decided to move from 14-month to weekly releases, people said it couldn’t — and shouldn’t — be done. When I started YouTube, people said the videos were bad. (Some were!) When I shared posts, wrote books, launched podcasts, even published artwork — the reactions were mixed. Sometimes supportive, sometimes confused, sometimes critical.
But that’s part of the exchange. When you share something in public, you invite response. You don’t owe an explanation — but you do owe yourself the commitment to keep going.
Each time we try something new, we risk misunderstanding. That comes with the territory.
But the alternative — staying silent, doing nothing, never testing an idea in the real world — costs far more.
So, the next time you step forward with an idea, remember: You’re not proving yourself to those who stand and watch. You’re learning, creating, and helping to move something — even slightly — forward.
Jump into the void. Listen kindly. Keep building. Let the work do the explaining.
Until next time, Rob
Creative Soul Project
Here's a video I did this week about music, mood and creative flow. Had fun recording this one - even though I was self-conscious, as dog walkers kept walking past!
Quote of the Week
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, it’s unlikely you will step up and take responsibility for making it so. If you assume that there’s no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things, there’s a chance you may contribute to making a better world. The choice is yours.” — Noam Chomsky
Free Idea to Value Course Videos
Here's Principle 22 – Fun is an early warning system How energy, laughter, and engagement reveal the real health of your culture.
And Principle 21 – Learners inherit the world Why curiosity, not certainty, shapes the most effective teams — and the most resilient careers.
Support Cultivated Management
This newsletter is a labour of love and will always be free, but it's not free to create it - if you’d like to support my work:
