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The smartest person is usually the person in the room who knows how to tap into the
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intelligence of every person in the room.”
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These are the words of former ISS commander, Scott Kelly, who found
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this to be the most effective way of leading a mission team?
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That's a big shift in the role of a leader, actually.
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A few decades ago, a leader had to be the one who knew all the answers.
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Not knowing an answer was a sign of weakness.
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And even today we see that happening in a lot of companies and even countries.
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But it turns out that most questions that are easy to answer
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have already been answered.
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The important questions that remain are the ones for which it's
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impossible to know all the answers.
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The same is true for mission critical questions that come out of nowhere
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and need to be answered quickly.
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Most of these questions are complex.
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Most likely no single person is actually able to answer
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all of them in any situation.
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That's why the most effective leaders to date tap into the knowledge of others.
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They empower their team to find answers.
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They inspire their audience to look for their own answers.
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They light the path and provide direction so that we can explore the path together.
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Leaders are effective not because they know but because
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they want to know an answer.
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We trust them not because they have the one and only answer but because
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they have the will to find the truth.
