I don't care what you know until I know that you care

Have you heard the expression: “I don't care what you know until I know that you care” ? The first time I heard it was back in 2011 during a leadership seminar and although it made sense, I did not make as much sense as it does today.

The world is evolving and so must leadership from technical, knowledge based to a more caring approach. For many years leaders were those who knew the most, knew how to solve complex business issues; in a VUCA world, knowledge is less relevant than the capability to learn and to inspire others.

There is nothing wrong with having a great deal of experience and knowledge, as long as you put it in service to the team to achieve something transcendent. Putting your knowledge and expertise to serve your purpose and your purpose only could potentially make you a #competentprick and hinder your capability to deliver value through others. So the question is: Is there any other way? I believe the answer is YES !! To be a caring leader.

Being a caring leader does not mean you don't hold your team accountable; it only means that you as a leader genuinely care about others, are capable of showing empathy, are open about your feelings and should you need to do it, confront others supportively.

But clearly, becoming a caring leader is not an easy task, so here is a tip: The first step is to recognize that caring — and showing that you care — brings benefits. What you do after that is totally up to you.

So, do you care more about what you know or do you let others know that you really care ?