Leading as the Non-Expert

In this complex ever changing world, it is virtually impossible to be an expert on everything.  Leaders often find themselves in charge of areas outside their area of training and expertise.  Further, with the rapid Information Explosion, leading has become even more complex.

According to the New World Encyclopedia (online) "Information explosion is a term used to describe the rapidly increasing amount of published information and the effects of this abundance of data. As the amount of available data grows, managing the information becomes more difficult, which can lead to information overload. Information overload refers to the state of having too much information to make a decision..."  According to Amitabh Ray "...volume of knowledge is doubling every 12 hours, the doubling rate used to be 25 years in 1945."

Now more than ever it is critical for leaders to assemble teams whose members have a wide range of backgrounds and expertise.  The leader can't know everything; however, the leader can orchestrate, coordinate, and steer the organization.  The astute leader will rely on the expertise of individual team members to provide needed information to make an informed decision.

Far too often people in leadership positions feel that they have to be the fount of information and know everything.  When they realize that they don't (frankly can't), they get frustrated and intimidated.  They overcompensate by either dismissing those who know more about a subject than they do or they try to fake it and act as if they know it all.  Both can be fatal to both the leader and the team.  The effective leader will be very comfortable with what they don't know and will rely on those who do.  I have previously referenced the late automobile magnet Henry Ford who, when being asked a series of questions dealing with specific facts, stated "I don't know the answers to those questions, but I could find a man in five minutes who does."  Ford got it!  Leaders don't have to know everything, BUT, they sure had better have the resources to find out!  

The effective leader can't be an expert in everything, but, they can use their resources to get the appropriate information to make informed and smart decisions.

Information Explosion. New World Encyclopedia. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Information_explosion

Ray, Amitabh. (2020). Human knowledge is doubling every 12 hours. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/human-knowledge-doubling-every-12-hours-amitabh-ray/