Some people are fine skating through uncertainty by the seat of their pants, but most of us in leadership prefer to feel in control.
We like having all the answers (or most of them, anyway), and seeing a clear path ahead. And in time, people come to expect those things of us, and we come to expect them of ourselves.
So for a leader to admit they don’t know is a big deal.
For some it feels like an uncomfortable vulnerability; for others, worry. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here are some things you can do when you just don’t know:
Trust your intuition. Whether you call it intuition, your sixth sense or following our gut, sometimes when intellect fails you it’s time to rely on your subconscious. It’s a realm where you don’t need to explain or justify your actions or feelings. Just trust your inner guidance to know what’s best.
Make a bold move. In uncertain times we all feel tentative, but if you don’t take bold moves your leadership can’t move forward. Boldness inspires creativity, innovation, vision—exactly the things you need at such times. Let go of fear and remember that most people aren’t hoping to catch you in trouble but want to see you succeed. Whatever you send out always comes back to you, so let your actions set the direction of your leadership.
Let worry go. Worry won’t stop the bad stuff from happening; it just stops you from enjoying the good. The best thing you can do is let worry go and allow yourself to learn in the moment from the experience. Do the best you can do with what you have—beyond that, it’s outside your control.
Hire a coach. A great coach can ask the questions that can lead you to genuinely helpful answers, tell you the things you don’t want to hear and help you transcend your own point of view. The best coaches lead you past what you don’t know into possibility, and help you become the leader you’ve always known you can be.
Remember, feeling worried accomplishes nothing it only prevents you from moving forward, and stagnation is not an option for a leader.
Whatever the situation, do everything you can to keep yourself moving forward, either alone or with the help of a trusted advisor.
Make use of the wisdom you have within, and solicit as much knowledge as you can from those you trust.
Lead from within: What you don’t know today will be something you can learn from tomorrow.
N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.
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15 Responses
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November 30, 2016
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Jo Miller
29. Nov, 2016
Lolly, Thank you for another timely post. I needed to hear this today. Jo
lollydaskal
29. Nov, 2016
Messages always come to us when we need them… don’t they…
Lolly
Sam
29. Nov, 2016
Lolly, uncertainty can be a very scary thing when it comes to making business decisions. I think it’s about finding that perfect balance between trusting your gut and analyzing each possible outcome.
mercy
29. Nov, 2016
Thank you Lolly, this was a great piece.
Vishal Garg
01. Dec, 2016
Nice post
Brook
03. Dec, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this article. The part that says “make a bold move” resonates the most with my heart. It really makes sense. From my own experience, the tendency of having all the answers in fact trips us.
Thank you for sharing this awesome article.
Jim Vangerud
03. Dec, 2016
This article carries much wisdom. Make a bold move really speaks to me at this moment. This article has helped me see greater clarity in charting the path forward.
Stephen Rodgers
03. Dec, 2016
This is amazing and so timely to me Lolly. Thanks.
Nagarjuna Reddy
03. Dec, 2016
Making a bold move & Seeking Help…hiring a Coach.
Learning for me.
Thank you so much.
Sanaul Haque
04. Dec, 2016
Enjoy Music
Rosa
04. Dec, 2016
Dear Lolly, this post could not be any more timely for me. I have been going through a period of “I don’t Know”-ness in my profession as teacher and leader. I, like most of us, come from a culture of working hard to know it all and control things to the point that my muscles will tense to the point of pain. Admitting that I did not know was shameful and unheard of. Things have been different; I have started to wonder if all that I thought I knew is nothing; perhaps, I do not know much at all. Strangely, I do not feel worried or stressed. I feel at peace. It is as if the world had stopped.
Rosa
04. Dec, 2016
Dear Lolly, this post could not be any more timely for me. I have been going through a period of “I don’t Know”-ness in my profession as teacher and leader. I, like most of us, come from a culture of working hard to know it all and control things to the point that my muscles will tense to the point of pain. Admitting that I did not know was shameful and unheard of. Things have been different; I have started to wonder if all that I thought I knew is nothing; perhaps, I do not know much at all. Strangely, I do not feel worried or stressed. I feel at peace. It is as if the world had stopped. Thanks for this post.
Dana
12. Feb, 2017
Another suggestion I’d offer to leaders is to build a network of trusted leaders to bounce ideas off of to ask for advice. While I might not know what to do, a colleague may have faced something similar.