There’s the Expert, and Then There’s You

A leader must have the courage to act against an expert’s advice. ~James Callaghan

We live in a world where experts abound.  You may be one of them.  I am as well.  By virtue of the fact that you are a leader, you’ve got expertise in some area, no doubt about it.  And, as I recently read, “expertise” is relative.  While you may be an expert relative to some in a particular field, relative to others in that same field or in a different field altogether you may be little more than a novitiate.  And in light of this, there will be times when, even as an expert yourself, you lean into the advice of experts more qualified than yourself.  It’s the nature of the beast.

Now, all that being said, there is a bit of a catch in this leadership game, and it’s brilliantly summarized in James Callaghan’s quote above.  There’s a way that leadership requires you to research and look into the advice of experts, no doubt about it.  Indeed, having a team of experts available to access at any given moment is the prerogative of leaders.  At the same time, however, wearing the leader’s hat  requires you to know your own position — which may sometimes deviate from what the experts believe or have to say — and act on that.  This requires more than a modicum of courage, for sure.  Going against the grain can be a bold move.  I mean, what if you’re wrong?  Well, this is the risk that leaders take.  It’s part and parcel of the leadership game.  Rest assured, following the advice of experts can also be wrong.  Why?  Because even the best of advice only works if the circumstances in which its applied is conducive to the success of said advice.  If there’s something about your particular situation that is different or non-supportive of the advice in question, it will not work.  And your job as leader is to know your circumstances, know your unique position, and apply the expert advice within the frame of what you know to be true.

Bottom-line:  if you want to be a truly effective leader — whether personally, professionally or both — you’ve got to be willing to hold your own, even as you acknowledge the expertise of others.  Experts are human too.  They can make mistakes as much as you can, especially if they are not familiar with the unique aspects of your leadership scenario.  Remember, when it comes right down to it, you’re the expert in your particular leadership situation; as such, you have a responsibility to know which advice will work in your circumstances, apply it as appropriate and be courageous enough to make alternative choices at all other times.

Make a Choice, Any Choice

One of the things that I’m noticing as I step more fully into my leadership vision, my leadership role, is that there are times when I totally get stuck.  Truthfully, it’s not even stuck in the typical sense of that word; it’s more like overwhelmed with so many choices, that I simply don’t know which to choose — and erego I feel stuck.

It’s funny, because generally speaking I’m all about having a wide array of choices available to me.  There are times, however, when all of the choices in front of me seem to have merit, as well as pitfalls, and then I start to have this conversation with my inner saboteurs all around making the “right” choice.

Well, what I’m learning is this:  sometimes, it actually serves to just make a choice, and not worry so much about whether it’s right or wrong.  By making a choice — any choice — I notice that I absolutely get “unstuck”, and if in fact the choice ends up being wrong in some way, then I can go back to the drawing board.

Leadership requires me to lead, to step out and choose, even when I’m uncertain.  I don’t always have to lead with 100% certainty; in fact, I can lead with a bit of trepidation, so long as I own that I’m uncertain.  Honesty is the key here.  And by leading in this way, there’s a way in which I can draw others into my vision more easily, I think (I’m actually not sure about this — but I have a sense of it).  Why?  Because as much as people like heroes as their leaders, there’s something compelling about a leader who also shows up in all of her absolute humanity, authentically.

Bottom-line:  having doubts doesn’t have to keep you stuck.  Instead, rather than getting all intellectual, analytical, and trying to figure it out, leadership can be  better served when you simply make a choice, any choice, without worrying about the rightness or wrongness of it.  When you make a choice, you move.  And when you move, eventually you find your way.