Ep 7: How do we lead when we don’t know what to do?

We live in a world where the assumption is that leaders have to be the brilliant experts with all the right answers all the time. But with so much uncertainty, that’s just not possible. How are we to lead when we aren’t sure what to do next?

J.R. offers three questions to help navigate the uncertainty:

1.    What information are you lacking that if you had it you could make a more confident decision?
2.    What’s the next right thing to do?
3.    Use the 2 x2 decision-making matrix:
·      What’s the best thing that can happen if I do this?
·      What’s the worst thing if I do this?
·      What’s the best thing that can happen if I don’t do this?
·      What’s the worst thing if I don’t do this?

But even with us, we still aren’t sure what to next. Now what? Leaders can learn these three words: “I don’t know.”
Leaders are utilize this line when they aren’t sure what to do next: “I don’t know what to do right now, but let’s figure it out together.”
Most times, this will actually deepen trust and people’s respect level for you as the leader will go up, not down. Trust, truth-telling, vulnerability, and collaboration are much more important than faking it, pretending, or lying about it.
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