If you want to lead in a genuinely authentic way, you have to risk looking stupid.

I was watching an episode of Rob and Romesh vs, where they’re in Mumbai attempting to break into the Bollywood film industry. As ever, it’s very funny, but one line stopped me.

In an acting class, their coach looks at them and says, without malice: “Competence is the enemy of brilliance.”

What he means is simple. Rob and Romesh aren’t beginners. They’ve spent years on camera and on stage. They know how to look comfortable. They can fake being “good enough”. And that’s precisely the problem.

Competence means you get away with being fine.

If they want to be brilliant, the coach explains, they have to risk looking stupid. They have to let go of self-consciousness. They have to stop protecting themselves.

That observation stuck with me because it applies far beyond acting. It shows up everywhere in professional life, especially at senior levels.

Once you’re experienced, articulate and credible, competence becomes a kind of armour. You know how to prepare. You know how to sound convincing and stay within the lines. Meetings go smoothly. Presentations land well. And not much goes wrong.

But nothing surprising happens either.

I saw this in myself when I decided to take public speaking more seriously a year or so ago. To start with I cheated. I wrote full scripts that sounded conversational and kept them with me on stage. To the audience, it probably looked like I was speaking off the top of my head. In reality, I was clinging to a safety blanket.

I was word-perfect. I made zero mistakes. But I was slightly distant.

The need to stick to the script created a barrier between me and the room. My focus was on getting the words right, not on responding to the energy in front of me. In trying to be competent, I stopped being fully present.

“Leadership isn’t just about delivering conclusions. It’s about letting your team see how you arrive at them.”

It has taken months of ongoing practice – and coaching from the peerless Caroline Goyder – to wean myself off scripts. The irony is that I am now less refined but far more connected. I stumble sometimes, but it doesn’t faze me like it used to and I adapt to the room more. My keynotes are stronger for it.

But this isn’t just about public speaking. It’s a leadership lesson.

Competence protects your reputation. But it can also limit your impact.

If you always know exactly what you’re going to say in a meeting, ask yourself whether you’re leaving any room to think in public. Leadership isn’t just about delivering conclusions. It’s about letting your team see how you arrive at them.

If you wait to speak until you’re sure you’re right, notice what that does to momentum. In fast-moving environments, leaders are often valued less for certainty than for being willing to move first and adjust openly.

If your communication is consistently smooth and controlled, consider whether you’re over-managing your output. Authority doesn’t only come from composure. It can also come from visible engagement, challenge and the occasional rough edge.

And, if you’re never slightly uncomfortable in how you lead, it’s worth asking whether your hard-won competence is actually now holding you back.

“I wish I’d read Next Gen CEO years ago”Rory Sutherland, best-selling author and TED Global speaker

One of the most original and entertaining thinkers in the complex and fast-changing world of marketing and brands is Rory Sutherland. If you haven’t read his books or seen him holding forth on a podcast then where have you been?

Rory is one of a handful of people to have read early copies of my new leadership book, Next Gen CEO, and the good news is that you don’t have to wait any longer to get yours.

It’s published this Thursday, June 4th, and you can get a copy from your usual bookseller, or from the link below.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Buy my book

Best, Mike