Lately, the universe has been calling me to explore the concept of unlearning. It started with a talk I was developing on the pressure leaders feel to know more than they do at any given moment. That pressure fuels a Know More Mindset—but what if we flipped that? “No More Know More!” Instead of chasing endless knowledge, we embrace the wisdom we already carry. Learning will always be part of our journey, but the only place we can truly have impact is the present. Stand in the power of what you know right here and now.

Then, as if to reinforce this idea, an article headline crossed my inbox: Forget being a Know-it-all, be a Learn-it-all. More validation! Also, it aligned to a new consulting challenge on supporting leaders in the face of digital and AI adoption. In the world of work, there’s currently focus and urgency around upskilling—learning all the new things—but less attention to how we learn or, more importantly, unlearn outdated beliefs and habits that no longer serve us.

Popular models in workplace practice describe a learning progression from unconscious incompetence (blissful ignorance) to unconscious competence (sublime surety). In between, we struggle, then build confidence as we improve. We’ve all experienced this — learning to ride a bike, drive a car, dance, cook, even change a diaper!

Having gotten to this stage, who wouldn’t want to stay there and enjoy the fruits of their labor? Mastery is rewarding, but as Marshall Goldsmith reminds us in his classic, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, we can’t cling to the ways in which we’ve already learned to succeed if we want to keep growing. And in today’s world, what we “know” becomes outdated or even obsolete faster than ever.

And yet, we idolize experts, influencers, those who seem to have it all figured out. Even vulnerability has become a performance—who can be the most revealing, whether relevant or not? It makes me wonder: will our obsession with knowing (and sharing) everything become our downfall? A sort of plague of knowitallous/shareitallous?

Perhaps it’s time to shift toward a more exploratory mindset. After all, we created AI to expand our potential—if we can reach one destination faster, what new roads might open? How many possibilities exist beyond what we can even imagine? As Buddhist scholar and environmental activist, Joanna Macy, encourages, we can learn to fall in love with uncertainty as our human consciousness evolves.

So here’s to you releasing your inner expert and embracing the curiosity, playfulness, and joy of your inner explorer!