I don’t know

At the station this morning, a dapper looking gentleman was wearing a pin badge on his coat. It said on it simply I don’t know. He may have been wearing it to ward off tourists seeking directions, but I made up a different story in my head about him.

In my story he was off to work in a major government department, committed to shaking up the prevailing culture of pretending that we all know what we are doing and expecting leaders to be infallible and omniscient.

I am gratified to meet more and more leaders who just might be game enough to sport the I don’t know badge to the office. These are leaders who are willing to admit that they sometimes feel they are making things up as they go along; that the answers lie in the team not in any individual and that they sometimes experience imposter syndrome. From my observations, these kind of leaders are usually presiding over better collaboration at the top, a healthier attitude to risk, more agile strategy and better decision-making.

For those interested in getting more comfortable with “Not Knowing” I recommend this book.