For Leaders Who Already Know Everything
Have you ever met a know-it-all?
You know the type. They don’t ask many questions. They don’t seem particularly curious about what you think. They just talk. And talk. And talk.
I remember sitting in a gentleman’s office once for nearly an hour. During the entire meeting, I think I spoke three words. I am not exaggerating.
He talked for the entire hour.
Then, as I was leaving, he shook my hand and said, “That was one of the best conversations I’ve had in a long time!”
I remember thinking, I’m glad I could help.
The funny thing is, it has happened to me more than once. In fact, I have begun to notice an interesting phenomenon: sometimes the more prestigious the office I walk into, the less I’m able to say.
There is certainly nothing wrong with having knowledge, experience or expertise. Leaders should have something to say. But there is a difference between having wisdom and believing you have nothing left to learn.
Whenever I encounter that, I think about the example Jesus gave us.
Scripture gives us a remarkable picture of the One who actually did know it all.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” — John 1:1
And yet, when Mary and Joseph found the young Jesus in the temple, what was He doing?
“Sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” — Luke 2:46
Think about that picture.
Jesus was sitting.
Listening.
Asking questions.
And just a few verses later, Scripture tells us that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” — Luke 2:52
The Word became flesh and entered fully into human life and development. And the posture Scripture shows us is one of listening, learning and asking.
If Jesus modeled that posture, perhaps there is something there for those of us leading companies, organizations, teams—and even movements.
Never become such a big deal that you become too big to listen.
Success can quietly do something dangerous to a leader. The more experience we gain, the more people begin looking to us for answers. We become accustomed to being the person who knows what to do. And somewhere along the way, we can become so comfortable having the answers that we stop asking good questions.
We enter meetings ready to speak instead of ready to learn. We listen for an opening to respond rather than for something we may have missed. We surround ourselves with people who ask us what we think while forgetting to ask what they think.
And perhaps most dangerously, the higher we climb, the number of people willing to challenge us and tell us what we need to know shrinks.
That is why curiosity isn’t simply a beginner’s trait. It is a leadership discipline.
Some of the wisest leaders I know remain deeply curious. They ask questions when they could easily dominate the conversation. They seek perspectives from people with less experience, smaller titles or completely different backgrounds. They understand that having authority does not mean having all the answers.
There will always be more to learn—from our employees, our customers, our peers, our mistakes, our families and, most importantly, from God.
So perhaps the question isn’t simply, How much do I know?
Maybe a better question is:
What have I stopped asking because I think I already know?
The strongest leader in the room isn’t always the one with the most to say.
Sometimes it’s the one who still knows how to listen.
