As a young man in leadership I thought it was my job to have all
of the answers, for upper management, my people and my customers.
As an experienced leader I have learned two very valuable lessons;
Surround yourself with people that share the same values but who have different thinking styles. This makes you much smarter and a better all around leader. It is very uncomfortable because we all want people to think like us and many of us hire in our image which can be an issue that stifles creativity, diversity and growth.
You don’t have to have the all of the answers, you just need to know someone that does. As I joke with friends about having a yacht or an airplane it is the same theory. You don’t need one, you just need to have good friends that have them. As you grow your circle of influence, network or whatever they call it these days, you just need to know the people that have the answers to challenging questions or issues.
A lesson I didn’t know in my twenties and What I Know Now.
