Expressing doubts and uncertainties about a decision isn’t a sign of weakness; it is a stepping stone to empowering team members. Often, decisions aren’t black and white, especially in entrepreneurship, and it’s normal to dwell in ambiguity.
In my early leadership days, I mistakenly believed I needed to solve every challenge my team faced, adding unnecessary stress to my plate and hindering my team’s growth. This approach was unsustainable, and routine meetings like daily standups became sources of anxiety, prompting me to reevaluate.
I had created a false narrative that I needed to have a detailed blueprint my team’s agenda, every day. A sorted list of tasks for each team member, and a predetermined sequence in which they should be executed.
My role, as I had inaccurately defined it, wasn’t just to guide my team to prioritize and tackle our most pressing challenges; I—the leader—was trying to actually solve all of the problems myself. I had a perspective on how things should be done and I didn’t hesitate to share.
The unnecessary weight of having an answer for every problem made each and every decision we faced seem like a litmus test of my ability to lead—a test I felt I was perpetually failing if I didn’t have a well-thought-out perspective or a baked solution.
A shift occurred when I dropped the rope and started admitting, “I don’t know,” when presented with a problem by a direct report. I began teaching through the Socratic method, asking, “What do you think?” “What are some considerations for the decision?” “What are the pros and cons of each option?”
When my team members needed help, I would let them know my considerations and parameters for a decision. I’d help them understand how I thought about the decision without attempting to solve the problem…because truly, I didn’t have an answer! What a relief.
By being vulnerable and admitting my uncertainty, I allowed my employees to think for themselves and I built trust and respect in the process. This realization isn’t unique to me; the idea of pushing decisions down to the nodes and allowing employees to make decisions for themselves has been written about ad nauseam.
But alas, sometimes it isn’t until we’ve lived an experience that we fully grasp past advice we’ve been given. This was an early learning for me. Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about paving the way for solutions to develop. It’s about providing guardrails and guidance, to utilize the brainpower of the team to determine which problems are most urgent, and to ensure that every individual is equipped, confident, and motivated to tackle those problems head-on.