If there was ever a time for leaders to embrace the profound power of saying “I Don’t Know,” the global pandemic of early 2020 is certainly it. Faced with unprecedented uncertainty, those leaders who believed they had to project an aura of having all the answers often struggled. In reality, your team isn’t looking for an omniscient oracle; they want a leader who will authentically admit when they don’t know, and then empower the team to collaboratively figure it out. This principle, forged in crisis, is a cornerstone of effective leadership in any Small or Medium-Sized Business (SMB) navigating today’s complex world.

The Pitfall of Bluffing vs. The Power of Trust

When you don’t know the answer (or even just aren’t sure) but bluff your way through, you might feel like you’re maintaining an image of control. However, if that bluffed answer proves wrong, you’ve significantly damaged your credibility. Trust is one of the most vital assets in your relationship with your team. They don’t need a leader who knows everything; they need a leader they can trust.

When you admit “I don’t know” and then engage your team by asking, “How can we work together to find the best path forward?” you achieve several powerful outcomes:

• Builds Goodwill and Trust: You demonstrate vulnerability and respect for their collective intelligence.
• Empowers Your Team: You show that you recognize their knowledge and value their opinions.
• Fosters Growth: You create an opportunity to teach and learn new problem-solving approaches together.

Navigating Big, Ambiguous Questions: The Fractional CIO’s Approach

What will the “new normal” look like after the pandemic disruptions? When (or if) will everyone return to the office full-time? What do customers truly need most as business models continue to evolve? These are huge questions without easy, absolute answers. Similarly, in the realm of technology strategy for SMBs, questions like “What’s the right AI strategy for us?” or “How do we best secure our data against rapidly evolving cyber threats?” can feel overwhelming.

Your job as a leader, and my role as a fractional CIO, isn’t always to have the instant, perfect answer. It’s to:

1. Provide a Framework: Offer a structured way to explore the uncertainty and break down the big questions.
2. Listen Intensely: Actively solicit ideas, concerns, and insights from your team and relevant experts.
3. Facilitate Options & Probabilities: Help the team collaboratively develop potential solutions or paths forward, understanding that many answers in uncertain times are about probabilities and informed choices, not absolute certainties.

Even if the initial answers you co-create aren’t “perfectly right” in hindsight, the process of working through them together empowers your team and builds confidence that, collectively, you can navigate whatever comes next.

What’s Next

The ability to authentically say, “I Don’t Know”, followed immediately by a committed, “But let’s figure it out together!”, is one of the most critical and liberating skills a leader can cultivate. Practice it regularly. You’ll discover its incredible power to build trust, unlock team potential, and navigate even the most complex challenges, especially when leading through times when, truly, nobody has all the answers. This collaborative, questioning approach is fundamental to helping your SMB “Succeed Sooner.”

Is your SMB facing complex challenges or technological uncertainties where the answers aren’t immediately obvious? If you’re looking for a strategic partner who brings a framework for collaborative problem-solving and isn’t afraid to say “I don’t know, but let’s figure it out together,” connect with Succeed Sooner Consulting.