Who Knows?

You don't know everything. 

That's not a bad thing. 

A good leader isn't afraid of his or her own ignorance. In fact, there are times when your ignorance is not only bliss, but is actually ADVANTAGEOUS to your business and to building your team. Responding to a question or problem with "I don't know" can create several desirable outcomes for those you lead. It doesn’t have to be an excuse for inaction. It can be an inspiration for BETTER action. Skeptical? Check this out...

1.) Creativity

We all bring something unique to the table. Admitting you don’t have a specific plan, a desired look or a standard process for something (especially something new) communicates openness to new ideas and input to your team. It builds a collaborative culture where people feel their ideas are important – even if they aren’t ultimately implemented. Creating space brings out the innovative and unique perspectives of your team. This is not a cessation of your leadership responsibility. It's an intentional inclusion. Be open. You just may end up with a brilliant course of action you would have never considered had you not given your team the opportunity of your ignorance.

2.) Demonstration

If you are trying to build leaders among those you lead, they need to know they have permission to not have an answer for everything. Those you are building up need to be encouraged in HOW to find answers for themselves. A great way to teach that skill is to take advantage of the moments when you are unsure yourself, walking them through your own process of problem-solving and demonstrating for them the importance of being honest about their own limitations while working to expand them. This is a high-impact and authentic strategy for building confidence.

3.) Trust

You will be hard pressed to get more bang for your buck in building trust than to make a promise to find an answer you don’t know – then follow through. Nothing builds trust like follow through. In the event that you don't have time for the demonstration strategy, use this one. The only hard part is admitting you don’t know. You know how to find the answers you’re looking for. Let those you lead in on your process. Say you don’t know but that you will find out and get back to them promptly. Then follow through and watch your team and your family begin to trust you even more than they already do.

Here’s a reminder from a guy who is fairly famous for knowing a lot. 

“The only true wisdom is in knowing [what] you don’t know.” – Socrates

Be comfortable enough in what you don’t know to be authentic about it. Don’t get comfy enough to stay ignorant – leverage it for the gain and development of your whole team. Remember, you can’t lead by example if you don’t let others see HOW you get to where you’re asking them to go. Let’s turn up the transparency and help our teams and families expand as we work hard to expand ourselves.

Lean forward,

Bekka