Last week, I shared something atypical of me: a 10-second video of me dancing.

I captioned it:

“No be everytime, serious mental content. Sometimes, just dance.”

It was therapeutic.

We all dance.

Whether we dance well or meh isn’t the point.

We dance when we’re happy, in the shower, when we hear a favorite jam, at ceremonies, in places of worship, or when you receive really good news that you can’t contain your joy.

Even the shyest person dances comfortably when they’re in safe spaces.

But here’s my question for you:

Can you dance around the edges of your comfort zone?

Dancing around the edges

Edges are the blurry spaces where comfort meets uncertainty.

They are not full leaps into the unknown, nor are they the cocoon of safety.

They’re the place where you’re not sure how others will react, how you’ll be perceived, or even how you’ll perceive yourself.

When you dance around the edges, you are experimenting.

You are allowing yourself to be slightly awkward, slightly exposed, slightly vulnerable.

In my case, posting a dance video was about permission.

Permission to break my own pattern, to loosen the grip of “serious mental content” and let playfulness have its moment.

Notice how the words feel different:

• Comfort zone. Relaxation. Dance. → warm, safe, positive.
• Uncharted waters. Tip-toe. Caution. Dance at the edges. → uncertain, defensive, negative.

Yet growth often lives in the second set of words. At the other end of fear. At the flipside of uncertainty.

For leaders, professionals, and organizations, the temptation is to stay in the first set and only show up where we’re already fluent, polished, or in control.

But the most transformative shifts come when we risk entering the second set, not recklessly, but rhythmically.

You can tiptoe into it.

Dance at the edges.

Be cautious of it.

But whatever you do, ensure you are pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone and stretching to the very edges.

What you can take from this

1. Experiment publicly, not just privately.
   ​You can test new ideas, new partnerships, or new policies in low-stakes but visible ways. Think of it as posting a “10-second dance video” for your institution.
2. Redefine failure as choreography.
   ​A wrong step is still part of the movement. What feels awkward may be the prelude to a breakthrough.
3. Play fuels resilience.
   ​Development work is heavy. But making room for play even in professional spaces keeps energy alive and prevents cynicism.

Finally, courage is contagious. When you dance around your edges, others notice. They may not applaud instantly, but they gain permission to try their own experiments.

Now go share some dance moves!

Every week, this newsletter Development Hacks delivers strategic thinking + doing tools for public leaders, economic policymakers, and system builders working to transform emerging economies from the inside out. If this article challenged your perspective, forward it to someone making decisions at scale.