Best man Quote by Ed Catmull
““I believe the best managers acknowledge and make room for what they do not know—not just because humility is a virtue but because until one adopts that mindset, the most striking breakthroughs cannot occur. I believe that managers must loosen the controls, not tighten them. They must accept risk; they must trust the people they work with and strive to clear the path for them; and always, they must pay attention to and engage with anything that creates fear. Moreover, successful leaders embrace the reality that their models may be wrong or incomplete. Only when we admit what we don’t know can we ever hope to learn it.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Pixar Leadership Talk, 2012
Effective managers admit uncertainty, empower teams, and confront fear to enable breakthroughs.
In simple terms: Good leaders admit they don’t know everything and trust their teams.
Key Takeaway
Embrace humility, delegate, and address fear.
Themes
leadership
humility
risk
empowerment
Mood
inspirational
reflective
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- product development
- team meetings
- crisis response
- innovation workshops
Key Concepts
systems thinking
psychological safety
learning mindset
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you create space for unknowns in your work?
- What fears are you avoiding?
A Different Perspective
Over‑reliance on control can stifle creativity.
