As a leader in your organization, you probably like to think that you have all the answers. After all, you should if you’re the boss, right? No. The fact of the matter is it’s not humanly possible to know the answer to every single question that comes up concerning every single aspect of your business. (If you do, I’d like to have you submitted for testing so we can find out exactly how your brain works).
In reality, as leaders we often have to humble ourselves and say, “I don’t know.” However, what we must not do is say, “I don’t know and move on.” Instead, we must take action to find an answer, which can be done in a number of ways.
4 Steps to Take if You Don’t Know the Answer
- Consult Your Employees — You hired them for a reason, right? Hopefully, it’s because they have an area of expertise that you yourself don’t have. Be sure to make use of it.
- Ask Leaders Inside Your Industry — If you’ve been asked a question, it’s likely other leaders in your space have been asked the same question as well. Consult them to see if they have an answer you couldn’t think of on the spot.
- Ask Leaders Outside Your Industry — Sometimes it’s hard to think outside the box when you’re still inside of. This is where consulting a leader outside of your industry can be helpful. For example, if you’ve been approached with a marketing question, consider consulting the author of a marketing book, versus a marketing director of a health club. You may get a fresh solution.
- Read, Read, Read — In the age of the Internet, access to knowledge is vast. By doing a bit of research, you may find the answer to your question already pondered upon by dozens, if not hundreds of leaders. It just takes a bit of searching.
At the end of the day it can be humbling to have someone ask a question we don’t know the answer to. But as leaders, it’s our job to set pride aside and accept that although we may not have all the answers, we can definitely find a solution. We may just need some help.
What’s the toughest question you’ve ever been asked, and what was your answer?
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
