Be Awesome—Not Perfect
- Ralph Cochrane
- Aug 19
- 1 min read
Cyndi Lauper’s coming to Toronto this July—and it got me thinking.
Her bold, original style. The neon hair. The voice. The attitude. She didn’t chase perfection—she chased impact.
When critics told her to tone it down, she doubled down instead. Forty years later, she’s still doing her thing, still packing arenas, still unforgettable. And honestly? That’s a leadership lesson.
Perfect is safe—but forgettable. Awesome means real. Bold. Willing to take a swing, even if you miss.
In leadership, that looks like:- Letting your team try bold ideas—even the weird ones- Modeling calm when things go wrong: “What did we learn?”- Creating space for creativity, not fear
When people know they won’t be punished for trying, they stop playing it safe. They experiment. They grow. And that’s when the good stuff happens.
So, thank you, Cyndi. I’ll be the one in row 12 with my wife, clapping for originality—and for leaders who let others be awesome, not perfect.
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