Do leaders know EVERYTHING ?

I participated in a panel discussion some time ago, and I recall the event for the organisers' thoughtfulness. Prior to the panel discussion, all panellists were handed a set of 10 core questions to "prepare" and "come." Except for one panellist, most of the others agreed that it's a good practise for one simple reason: 'Nobody wants to answer questions about issues about which they know nothing.'

Just imagine a leader of a country or a large — or even a small — organization admitting to its people that s/he was lost. It would have a terrible impact on people’s morale. But the fact remains that leaders are human too. They need not always have the answers to situations and challenges thrown at them.

Sure, one can understand and even empathize with that point of view. After all, imagine a leader of a country or a large — or even a small — organization admitting to its people that s/he was lost. It would have a terrible impact on people’s morale. But the fact remains that leaders are humans too. They do not always have the answers to situations and challenges thrown at them.

No leader knows everything.

Admitting you don’t have the answers is much better than pretending you do.

As an organization, we have had multiple requests from our prospects who ask us to help them with something we are not an expert at. We politely say no to them, and even refer them to other organizations that could handle such requests. This definitely is not a weakness, and we view this as a strength. This has always put us in the good books of our prospects, who often come back to us asking for more of what we do.

As a leader, how do you respond to something you don’t know about?

Confirm your understanding?

Ask if you understood the question correctly. If your understanding is correct, and if you don’t know the answer, be honest and tell them that you do not have an answer straight up. While it is important to be able to handle tricky questions, it is absolutely normal not to have answers to everything. Accept that you do not know. However, you need to let them know what you plan to do to come up with a solution.?

That leads us to the next point: being open.?

Be open?

Openly admit that you do not have the answer to the question or problem. This alone won’t suffice or provide confidence to people.?

What else should you do??

Here are some options:

• Demonstrate your willingness to seek information and advice from reliable sources.
• Share the specific resources or references you would consult to find the necessary information or resolution.?

Explain your logical approach to solving the question or problem based on the available insights.?

These responses indicate your willingness to be a part of finding a solution, and in fact, leading the way. However, it doesn’t stop there. You also need to specify by when you’ll have the solution.

Provide a timeline

After being honest about not knowing the answer and mentioning what you plan to do to arrive at the solution, you must provide a timeline.?

Provide a definite date by which time you would have the answer or the solution to the problem posed to you.?

These steps would go a long way in assuring people that you’re doing your job as a leader.?

One of the core functions of a leader is continuous learning. As a top member of the organization, you’re also expected to be a top learner.

One of the core values of any organization is teamwork. If you don’t know the answer, someone else on your team likely does. Ask them.?

Even better, tell them, “I don’t know. Let’s figure it out.” This statement shows that you want to collaborate to identify a solution.?

People at the top needn’t know everything.?

Ask these simple questions:?

1. Have you faced a similar situation like this? Can you offer any feedback or advice based on your experience?
2. If you were in my position, what specific changes or improvements would you suggest for our current approach??
3. Are there any aspects or considerations that I may have overlooked??
4. What is your perspective on the course of action that we should take??

These questions invite collaboration.?

As a leader, your role is simply coordinating effectively. You are the top learner in the group.?

Announcing that to the rest of the group projects you as a leader who is willing to learn and grow.?

As a leader, you create the answers that people seek.?

“I don’t know, let’s figure it out” is your most powerful statement. It gives everyone a sense of confidence in knowing that they have a leader at the top who seeks answers and wants you to be a part of the solution.?

It is rarely a bad thing to say, “I don’t know.”