Stepping Away From the Chalkboard as You Grow as a Leader

I never liked raising my hand in class unless I was certain I had the right answer.

I remember one time in high school when we had to compete by writing answers on the chalkboard. I thought I knew it, but I wasn’t quite sure. My opponent also looked unsure and wrote nothing. So I wrote nothing.

Turns out I would have been right. I’d rather be wrong with no answer than give a wrong answer in front of everyone.

At some point, though, most of us move into classes, conversations, and work that line up with what we’re good at. We pick paths where we know more of the answers.

People notice. They start coming to us for help. We get rewarded for being the one who can figure it out.

Over time, knowing the answer stops being a moment in class. It becomes part of how we see ourselves. The problem is that leadership does not actually work that way.

The higher you go, the less often there is a clear answer. The problems get messier. The timelines get longer. The tradeoffs have larger consequences.

So you end up in a strange place. You are still the person people turn to. You still feel pressure to have something smart to say. But inside, you are often just as unsure as you were standing at that chalkboard.

Some leaders cope by gripping tighter. They push themselves to have an opinion on everything. They keep filling the silence. They say yes to more decisions than their nervous system can support.

Others slowly learn a different move.

They let themselves say, “I don’t know yet.” They ask better questions instead of offering quick solutions. They build teams that can think with them, not just wait for their answer.

The difference is not confidence or aptitude. It’s a willingness to be seen without an immediate solution.

In high school, I stayed silent because I was afraid of being wrong. As a leader, the harder move now is sometimes choosing to stay silent even when you know you’re right.

Where is your identity still tied to being the person at the chalkboard, whether you know the right answer or not? And who are you as a leader if you aren't the one with the answer?

You can still be an impactful leader without having every answer on the board.