Stop Fearing the Unknown: How to Build Negative Capability with Steven D'Souza, Winner of Leadership Book of the Year
The SMARTA PodcastShow Notes
What if everything you have been taught about finding the "perfect" career path is not entirely true?
Welcome back to The SMARTA Podcast! In Episode 106, we are flipping the script on uncertainty. I am sitting down with Steven D'Souza, the 2026 Business Book Awards winner for Leadership Book of the Year! Steven teaches at institutions like Oxford and IE Business School, and he is here to prove that "not knowing" is actually your greatest competitive advantage.
What you will learn in this episode:
How Steven sold 8,000 copies of a book he hadn't even written yet just by talking to strangers.
Why the concept of "Shadows at Work”, the hidden parts of yourself running the show, is sabotaging your success.
How to spot your shadow through repetitive patterns and disproportionate reactions.
Why you need to stop rushing to figure your life out and build "negative capability" instead.
In this episode: 00:00 - Welcome
03:00 - The Power of Not Knowing, Service, & Social Capital
04:29 - How to Sell 8,000 Books Before You Even Write Them
12:50 - Why You Need to Start Talking to Strangers
18:51 - Shadows at Work: The "Me That I Don’t See"
23:40 - How to Spot Your Shadow: Triggers & Repetitive Patterns
30:07 - Why You Don't Need to Have It All Figured Out By 30
36:47 - The Path is Made by Walking
40:39 - The Life-Changing Habit of an Unplugged Morning Walk
47:46 - Negative Capability: Learning to Live with the Questions
52:33 - Life-Changing Books & Final Advice: Trust Yourself
AD get your free PR audit now at www.laurenstijssen.com/power-audit
If this episode helped you embrace the unknown, take a screenshot right now, post it to your Instagram Story, and tag me and Steven! Let us know what your next brave step is. Don't forget to hit subscribe to keep growing 1% smarter every day!
More from The SMARTA Podcast
What if failing publicly is the single fastest way to build the exact life you want?
What if waiting for permission is the exact thing keeping you from the life you actually want? Today, I am sitting down with the incredibly disciplined 20-year-old entrepreneur and copywriter, Jay Yang. At just 16, Jay realized that following the traditional path was leading him toward a life he did not want. He stopped waiting for permission and started taking action. We talk about how his permissionless mindset helped him land opportunities with massive entrepreneurs like Noah Kagan, Alex Hormozi, and Tyler Denk before he even finished high school.
What if the four massive crises facing humanity right now are actually your greatest opportunity to completely reinvent your future, and you have way less time than you think to act?
What if the most prestigious college degree in the world is actually a quarter-million-dollar trap holding you back?
What if you could spend every vacation in a castle, living like some of the greatest royalty members for your next holiday?