Surrender to learning and this will happen...

Ten years ago I worked with a KNOW IT ALL.  They had a bl@@dy answer for everything and never let anyone take control or contribute.

Exhausting. Yes.

I have a strong gut reaction to KNOW IT ALLs. They take my energy and space away because their desire to fix everything excludes me and others. They limit our enjoyment and curiosity. They rush in, thoughtless and take opportunities away.

They think they are inspiring with their endless answers and contributions. Nope!

If you are a people or project manager, I imagine you have felt the pressure to know everything or solve all the problems on the team.

But…

KNOWING IT ALL and solving every issue yourself is a self-induced pressure that can create negatives for you and the team.

If you feel the need to KNOW IT ALL then you are probably limiting ideas and performance in the team. If you are solving all the problems then you are creating a great big blockage of innovation, involvement and team collaboration.

KNOW IT ALLs feel they must come up with all the answers. They believe that it’s their job to make things work. BUT...

KNOW IT ALLs actually break teams. They create toxic cultures. They limit themselves and colleagues.

Surrender to learning

Early on in my career as a people manager I let go of the belief that I had to come up with all the answers. I surrendered to learning. I felt a strong relief. An empowering of myself.

The prospect of learning something in every conversation or whilst solving every problem is a powerful possibility that ignites me as a leader.

Surrender to learning and you instantly engage others around you. Questions. Insights. Sharing. Involvement....the list goes on. Vital outcomes for people managers.

Surrendering to learning at every turn in this way is a growth mindset in action. Moving from KNOW IT ALL (fixed) to LEARN IT ALL (growth) is a liberating mindset for leaders.

If we think we already have the answers then we don't ask. We fail to include. We avoid new.

LEARN IT ALLs keep growing.

They ignite and include and nurture. They are curious and conscious that those around them want to take part. This is the very epitome of driving engagement in the team.

Q: Think about YOUR approach to problems on the team.

Are you a KNOW IT ALL, perhaps you jump in and solve, fix and sort it out?

Or are you a LEARN IT ALL, armed with questions, coaching and curiosity?