I Don't Know

I love being a know-it-all. I was insufferable as a teenage Trivial Pursuit player.

But effective leadership isn’t about being smug and self-satisfied. And the world has changed since Trivial Pursuit was a popular thing.

As leaders, it’s better to NOT be a smug know-it-all when interacting with your team. Learn from your people. Respect their hard-earned knowledge base. Ask for their input. Solicit their suggestions. Acknowledge when they think of something you didn’t. Revise your position when given credible new information you previously did not have.

Know-it-alls fear looking ignorant. But leaders enhance respect for their leadership by continuing to learn, grow, and improve, and by being transparent when they are in the process. It’s okay not to know the answer, as long as you are actively looking to find it.

(image source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10164290408190422&set=a.195878175421)