---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was a young executive, I was…"
description: "\"When I was a young executive, I was always nervous that my idea wouldn't be great. So I asked around, 'What do you think of this?' That became my filte..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/bonnie-hammer-8000_enough_when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-alway_1951729.jpg"
---

#  When I was a young executive, I was always nervous that my…

![“When I was a young executive, I was always nervous that my idea wouldn't be great. So I asked around, 'What do you think of this?' That became my filter for whether my idea was good enough. Then I realized it just plain made me smarter.” quote by Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/bonnie-hammer-8000_enough_when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-alway_1951729.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/bonnie-hammer-8000_enough_when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-alway_1951729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/bonnie-hammer-8000_enough_when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-alway_1951729.jpg)

> “When I was a young executive, I was always nervous that my idea wouldn't be great. So I asked around, 'What do you think of this?' That became my filter for whether my idea was good enough. Then I realized it just plain made me smarter.”

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Seeking external feedback early acts as a filter, improving ideas and enhancing personal intelligence through diverse perspectives.

**In simple terms:** Feedback improves ideas and intelligence.

Key Takeaway

Ask for early opinions to refine ideas.

Themes

leadership learning communication

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

practical inspirational

When to use this quote

- product development
- team meetings
- mentorship
- pitch preparation

Key Concepts

feedback loops cognitive growth collaboration

Questions to Reflect On

- Whose feedback aligns with your core values?
- When should you trust your own judgment?

A Different Perspective

Overreliance on others may dilute original vision.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Nervous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervous/)

## Related quotes

> [And if it's a boy, I will be really nervous because I have no idea what to do with a boy because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-landry/and-if-it-s-a-boy-i-will-be-really-nervous-because-i-have-no-idea/)

[Ali Landry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-landry/)

> [“Do you think anyone found out about that?" B. J. Asks, sounding nervous. "Found out about what?" I ask, trying to imagine why I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-barnholdt/do-you-think-anyone-found-out-about-that-b-j-asks-sounding-nervous/)

[Lauren Barnholdt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-barnholdt/)

> [“Can I kiss you now?" he asked. "I think you'd better, tiger," I replied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-houck/can-i-kiss-you-now-he-asked-i-think-you-d-better-tiger-i-replied/)

[Colleen Houck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-houck/)

> [“If I had a dollar for every time someone asked, “What do you think about this logo?” I’d be rich.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hurdle/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-someone-asked-what-do-you-think/)

[Amber Hurdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hurdle/)

> [I met with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in February. So he'd been in office about a month. It was for an hour. Went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-met-with-president-donald-trump-at-mar-a-lago-in-february-so-he-d/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Twenty days ago my physio asked me if I was if I never think that I can win a Grand Slam or be in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavia-pennetta/twenty-days-ago-my-physio-asked-me-if-i-was-if-i-never-think-that-i/)

Flavia Pennetta

> [If I asked you, "Do you think you're beautiful?" everyone should say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-fanning/if-i-asked-you-do-you-think-you-re-beautiful-everyone-should-say-yes/)

[Elle Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-fanning/)

> [I was asked, 'Why do you think the male 'X Factor' winners haven't been successful in the past?' And I said, 'Because obviously the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-was-asked-why-do-you-think-the-male-x-factor-winners-haven-t-been/)

[James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/)

> [“I read the first chapter of A Brief History of Time when Dad was still alive, and I got incredibly heavy boots about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-read-the-first-chapter-of-a-brief-history-of-time-when-dad-was-2/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [“Do you think I'm lying to you?" I asked. "No, I think you're lying to you. I'm just in the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/do-you-think-i-m-lying-to-you-i-asked-no-i-think-you-re-lying-to-you/)

[Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/)

> [“We must hear the questions raised by Fannie Lou Hamer forty years ago. Every American everywhere asks herself, himself, these questions Hamer asked: What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/we-must-hear-the-questions-raised-by-fannie-lou-hamer-forty-years-ago/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [When my mom came to the show for the first time, I asked, 'What'd you think?' And I was so nervous and crying, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-everett/when-my-mom-came-to-the-show-for-the-first-time-i-asked-what-d-you/)

[Bridget Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-everett/)

> [“While I do not have a boyfriend, I do have a friend who is homosexual and I once asked him "Do you ever think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thorne/while-i-do-not-have-a-boyfriend-i-do-have-a-friend-who-is-homosexual/)

[David Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thorne/)

> [“You think good people can’t hate?” she asked. “You think good people don’t kill?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/you-think-good-people-can-t-hate-she-asked-you-think-good-people-don/)

[Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/)

> [I've always believed that you write to discover what you think. On most subjects, if I'm asked what do I think about them, I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-eyre/i-ve-always-believed-that-you-write-to-discover-what-you-think-on/)

[Richard Eyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-eyre/)

## More by Bonnie Hammer

> [My very first real job in the industry was as a production assistant on a show called 'Infinity Factory' in 1976.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/my-very-first-real-job-in-the-industry-was-as-a-production-assistant/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [I have tremendous admiration for companies with the kind of pioneering spirit and innovation eBay has demonstrated from day one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/i-have-tremendous-admiration-for-companies-with-the-kind-of/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [We can sit back and be part of a hurting America, or we can channel our energy into something positive and do what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/we-can-sit-back-and-be-part-of-a-hurting-america-or-we-can-channel/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [There were a lot of misperceptions that Sci Fi was for men: that it was for young men, and that it was for geeky…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/there-were-a-lot-of-misperceptions-that-sci-fi-was-for-men-that-it/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [Where we've been wise is that, while 'Monk' may have been a risk at the beginning, we've built its success and built on its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/where-we-ve-been-wise-is-that-while-monk-may-have-been-a-risk-at-the/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [It's very hard to tell somebody how to write when they're so good, and they're a brilliant writer and a really good guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/it-s-very-hard-to-tell-somebody-how-to-write-when-they-re-so-good-and/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [Many of the top-grossing movies of all time are science fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/many-of-the-top-grossing-movies-of-all-time-are-science-fiction/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> ['Stargate SG-1' is one of Sci Fi's sure-fire hits. It's got one of the best ensemble casts on television and one of the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/stargate-sg-1-is-one-of-sci-fi-s-sure-fire-hits-it-s-got-one-of-the/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [As a working woman at the height of my career, I know age has only enhanced my professional and personal abilities. It has brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/as-a-working-woman-at-the-height-of-my-career-i-know-age-has-only/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [The TV mini-series is kind of a lost genre because the networks have given up on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/the-tv-mini-series-is-kind-of-a-lost-genre-because-the-networks-have/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [When NBC bought USA and SCI FI in 2004, Jeff Zucker put me in charge of USA Networks. We did a lot of research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/when-nbc-bought-usa-and-sci-fi-in-2004-jeff-zucker-put-me-in-charge/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [We couldn't own Sci Fi; it's a genre. But we can own Syfy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/we-couldn-t-own-sci-fi-it-s-a-genre-but-we-can-own-syfy/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [Hope is a key ingredient in what drives creativity - the hope of bringing to life what exists in the imagination, of transforming the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/hope-is-a-key-ingredient-in-what-drives-creativity-the-hope-of/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [I'm a chick. I like shopping.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/i-m-a-chick-i-like-shopping/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

> [I'm a big believer that sci-fi lives in literature, that the true sci-fi population is out there reading a gazillion authors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/i-m-a-big-believer-that-sci-fi-lives-in-literature-that-the-true-sci/)

[Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

[Explore all 85 Bonnie Hammer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/)

## More Enough quotes

> [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/)

[Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/)

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/)

Adam Ant

> [I've been lucky enough to, for the most part, surround myself with a lot of people who are more talented than me and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-ve-been-lucky-enough-to-for-the-most-part-surround-myself-with-a/)

[Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/)

> [I love because there is not enough room in my heart to hate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rena-kornreich-gelissen/i-love-because-there-is-not-enough-room-in-my-heart-to-hate/)

Rena Kornreich Gelissen

> [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/)

[John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/)

> [Sometimes it's just enough for me to have the idea. I don't need to see it through to the end. When it actually happens,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-sedaris/sometimes-it-s-just-enough-for-me-to-have-the-idea-i-don-t-need-to/)

[Amy Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-sedaris/)

> [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/)

[Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/)

> [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/)

[Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/)

> [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/)

[James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/)

> [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/)

[Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/)

> [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [New York is large, glamorous, easy-going, kindly and incurious, but above all it is a crucible - because it is large enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/new-york-is-large-glamorous-easy-going-kindly-and-incurious-but-above/)

[Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/)

Browse all 23,898 Enough quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When I was a young executive, I was always nervous that my idea wouldn't be great. So I asked around, 'What do you think of this?' That became my filter for whether my idea was good enough. Then I realized it just plain made me smarter.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Bonnie Hammer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-always-nervous-that-my-idea-wouldn/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Enough"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-always-nervous-that-my-idea-wouldn/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/bonnie-hammer-8000_enough_when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-alway_1951729.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/bonnie-hammer-8000_enough_when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-alway_1951729.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb9/bonnie-hammer-8000_enough_when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-alway_1951729.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I was a young executive, I was always nervous that my idea wouldn't be great. So I asked around, 'What…” — Bonnie Hammer",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Bonnie Hammer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When I was a young executive,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-always-nervous-that-my-idea-wouldn/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/when-i-was-a-young-executive-i-was-always-nervous-that-my-idea-wouldn/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
