Leaders are problem solvers by nature, so they naturally want to have an answer for everything. When a senior business leader doesn’t know an answer or have a solution to address an issue, it can be a very uncomfortable experience for them.
The best leaders embrace the notion that others sometimes have better answers than they do. Peers or employees may be able to help brainstorm effective solutions when a leader has gotten too deep into the weeds on something to maintain an objective perspective or is having issues coming up with original, innovative ideas.
Below, 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council share advice on how senior business leaders can intentionally work on getting more comfortable with not always having the answer.
11. Let Others On The Team Share The Answers
Lean into letting others on the team share the answer or be the expert. You can say, “X on the team is the expert at this. Let me connect the two of you.” Or you can say, “While I don’t have that information handy now, let me check with X and get back to you.” And if it’s something that you are curious about and would like to know, use it as an opportunity to learn from those you lead. – Kristy Busija, Next Conversation Coaching, LLC