7 Sad Reasons You'll Fail To Have That Breakthrough Business Idea

You're in a meeting, and a problem is on the table that you and your colleagues are stuck on. The meeting is dragging on to no foreseeable end, and the challenge remains unresolved--not even close! You have an inkling about something that could open up the conversation to a possible solution, but you hold it in. Here's why you're not going to provide that breakthrough idea:

1. You think it's dumb: Remember when you were in grade school, and teased to no end for giving an answer in class that was unconventional? Well, you've taken that jeering too much to heart, and it's now cramping your creativity. Remember: there are no dumb ideas.

2. It's unclear: Of course it's unclear--it's a new idea! And often new ideas are hazy when they enter your mind; and sometimes require some batting around with other colleagues before it becomes that breakthrough that everyone's looking for. If it's unclear, you could be on the right track.

3. You don't want to own it: Sometimes a new idea can be shot down right away before others in the room realize it's a possible solution--but you don't want to own that rejection, even if it means taking one for the team. It's your idea, it's rattling around in your brain--own it!

4. It's been partially said before: Your idea may take another trip around the block that your colleagues could be weary of. That's ok. Ideas work on iterations, meaning the more you repeat them and spell them out and ride around the block with them, the clearer they can become. Besides, maybe the idea wasn't said before, but you for some reason think it was. Doesn't matter--just say it.

5. You hate the limelight: You're afraid your idea might make others in the room--especially your manager or boss--look bad. Or, you really don't like standing out among the crowd. You'd rather remain quiet than draw attention to yourself. Don't fall into this trap. Having a new idea--even if a breakthrough--is not a big deal.

6. You don't want your boss to steal it: Steve Jobs was brilliant at this: he would tell an employee his idea was crap, and then turn around the following day and announce his new brilliant idea--the very one he scoffed at the previous day! Who cares. We all have ideas, and it's difficult to verify were we got them from. It's all osmosis. Your idea is most likely a recycled one from a previous meeting, or something you stole from FastCo. Magazine.

7. It's unconventional: This is related to the "you think it's dumb" excuse. Your solution is so unconventional you'll be classified, at first, as a lunatic--perhaps even a rogue or troublemaker. Business meetings are no different from grade-school classrooms: the unconventional ideas are cast out until they become conventional--usual deemed such by the top dog. You might need to take the hit on this one until the boss comes around to it--but don't let that deter you.