I sat across from a brilliant leader not long ago—someone who had built a wildly successful company from scratch. Mid-conversation, she leaned in and said, “The older I get, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”
And I smiled. Because that’s the kind of wisdom we don’t talk about enough.
We live in a world that rewards certainty. That celebrates the people who “have all the answers.” But the truth is, no one knows everything. Not even close. And the leaders who thrive—who inspire trust, loyalty, and innovation—are the ones who have the courage to say, “I’m not sure, but I’m open to learning.”
The Danger of the Expert Trap
There’s a trap that comes with success. The more we achieve, the more we’re expected to know. People start looking to us for clarity, for answers, for direction. And so we begin to feel the pressure to be right. All the time.
But leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about being the most curious. It’s about asking better questions, not giving perfect answers.
When we believe we have to know everything, we stop listening. We stop learning. And we start protecting our ego at the expense of our growth.
The unknown isn’t something to fear. It’s where possibility lives. It’s where new ideas are born, where innovation starts, and where connection deepens.
Think about it…every great invention, every life-changing decision, every moment of true growth—it all started with someone saying, “I don’t know… but I’d like to find out.”
When we embrace the unknown, we give ourselves permission to evolve. We create space for collaboration. We build cultures where people feel safe to ask, explore, and try.
Being student is so much fun..honestly!
So here’s the “invitation” lead like a student.
Ask the question no one’s asking. Admit when you’re unsure. Be the one who listens more than they speak. Surround yourself with people who challenge your thinking, not just echo it.
Because leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about guiding people through the questions.
The goal isn’t to know everything. The goal is to stay open, stay humble, and stay in motion.
Because when we do that—when we stop pretending and start learning—we build something far more powerful than knowledge.
But here’s the gift in all of it: reflection isn’t regret. It’s a reminder. A reminder that it’s never too late to learn, to read, to grow. We might have left the campus behind—but the student in us is still alive, waiting. 🙂
And maybe, just maybe, that’s the best part.