What we can learn from an ISS commander about effective leadership …

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The smartest person is usually the person in the room who knows how to tap into the

intelligence of every person in the room.”

These are the words of former ISS commander, Scott Kelly, who found

this to be the most effective way of leading a mission team?

That's a big shift in the role of a leader, actually.

A few decades ago, a leader had to be the one who knew all the answers.

Not knowing an answer was a sign of weakness.

And even today we see that happening in a lot of companies and even countries.

But it turns out that most questions that are easy to answer

have already been answered.

The important questions that remain are the ones for which it's

impossible to know all the answers.

The same is true for mission critical questions that come out of nowhere

and need to be answered quickly.

Most of these questions are complex.

Most likely no single person is actually able to answer

all of them in any situation.

That's why the most effective leaders to date tap into the knowledge of others.

They empower their team to find answers.

They inspire their audience to look for their own answers.

They light the path and provide direction so that we can explore the path together.

Leaders are effective not because they know but because

they want to know an answer.

We trust them not because they have the one and only answer but because

they have the will to find the truth.