My Newest Skill: Admitting I May Not Have All The Answers
Throughout my career I’ve been focused on areas such as building the skills to do the job which I had, or to do the job I wanted to have. I’ve read many books and taken many courses on how to be a great presenter, be great at time management, or be a great coach. I have had the opportunity to work for some great companies which I feel proud to list on my LinkedIn profile. All of the things mentioned above continued to progress my career, and to build the confidence I need to continue taking on bigger and bolder challenges.
However, I recently discovered something which runs against everything I’ve been working towards. I have not taken any courses on it, read any books on it, or even identified it as something I should be aware of. I recently had to tackle it head on, and I’ve learned it has the ability to be tremendously powerful. It’s called vulnerability.
I learned it’s not easy, as you have to drop the pretenses of confidence, knowledge, and skill. Admitting you don’t have all of the answers, don’t have the knowledge, or don’t have the skills necessary can be humbling at best. The upside is that it clearly shows you are human, and you can fail. I also learned that it can bring a group together. Admitting you don’t have all of the answers allows a group to step up and help solve a problem, or at least support the broader team in the process. Longer term, it also helps a team build out their own skills further as they will be more engaged in the solution(s).
I used to worry that if I showed weakness (what I thought vulnerability meant) then my stature would decrease. However I am starting to realize that the exact opposite can be true. I now believe people can connect better with someone who needs help, and this creates a stronger, more cohesive group. Isn’t that the outcome a leader should be striving towards?
What do you think? I would love your feedback as I can now admit I may be wrong about this too. :-)
Retired Producer & Video Production Specialist
9 年Great post Peter. I have always liked working for people who know when to sincerely reach out to the team.
Strategic Communications Advisor ? Where expertise meets impact
9 年The most important thing is knowing that there is always room for improvement. Not knowing something becomes a problem only when you don't do anything with it. You have to work to get those answers and that is how you grow and become even more valuable to the eyes of others.
Owner, Devium Design, Inc.
9 年Great post Mr. Gima! Admitting to vulnerability (which of course everyone has btw) leads to a whole other learning curve in personal growth. Funny that it usually comes later in life both professionally and sometimes personally. I think it also comes as step 2 because years earlier I realized to was ok to say "I don't know". :-)
Co-founder / Executive Producer at Treehouse Ninjas
9 年On the long run an honest "I don't know, but let's find out" worth thousands times more than some empty BS just to cover our butt. No one has answers for everything...