6. Either Know or Listen to Those Who Know
In order to lead well, you need knowledge and deep understanding in many areas. The only problem is there is simply too much to know, and the higher you rise the worse it gets. The common response to this predicament is to double down on the work, and conquer the enemy through sheer might and perseverance. While the approach is understandable, and it does deliver some results, eventually all intelligent leaders hit a wall and arrive at the same inevitable conclusion: there is simply too much to know.
I am wiser than this man, for neither of us appears to know anything great and good; but he fancies he knows something, although he knows nothing; whereas I, as I do not know anything, so I do not fancy I do. In this trifling particular, then, I appear to be wiser than he, because I do not fancy I know what I do not know.
― Socrates
This wall is one of the primary dividing lines between average leaders and great leaders. Average leaders will arrive at this wall – the excess of knowledge that must be had – and they will either ignore it, not even see it, lead in a hurry, pretend otherwise, put up an act, or worse yet, be self-deceived and think that they already know all that they need to know … Of course, none of these strategies, however valiantly pursued, get rid of the wall or the inevitability of ignorance.
On the other hand, discerning leaders eventually arrive at this wall and they reach the unavoidable, yet necessary conclusion: given the demands of leadership, and that there will never be more than 24 hours in a day, they simply will not have the time to know everything. In other words, they have arrived at the great Socratic wisdom: they know that they do not know.
It is a mark of knowledge to confess freely that we are ignorant of the things we do not know: and learned ignorance consists exactly in this, because it belongs properly to those who are truly learned.
― René Descartes (1596-1650), Philosopher, mathematician, and scientist
While this may seem obvious, in fact what the annals of economic and political history reveal, not to mention the current headlines, is that far too many leaders fall into this trap. Many leaders, whether in business or government, think that they already know, or pretend, or are blinded by their success.
Great leaders know otherwise and they operate otherwise. They have lived enough, gained real experience, and paid serious attention, and they know that they have real areas of ignorance and always will. And better yet: they actively cultivate Wise Ignorance – or the realization that there are limits to personal knowledge and furthermore that there is a real art of compensating for these limits.
What is this art of Wise Ignorance? Its central commandments are:
1. Know what you know well.
2. Know what you do not know and seek out blind spots.
3. Learn to listen to those who know, what you do not.
I am not supposed to be an expert in every field. I am supposed to be an expert in picking experts.
― Moshe Dayan, Military leader and politician
In other words, distilled to its essence: either know or listen to those who know - whether it’s the experts in production, finance, human resources. In this high art, and its central commandments, lies a great dividing line between average and truly superior leadership. And great leaders, throughout their careers, make a point of always cultivating wise ignorance, of listening attentively, when necessary, to those who know, and of wisely integrating their expertise for the greater good of the organization.
Putting it into Practice
Enlist others - staff, colleagues, mentors - to help you identify your blind-spots and weaknesses.
Cultivate a team of expert advisors, who know a good deal more than you in certain areas.
Empower your staff and your advisors to share their expertise.
Actively cultivate the Virtues of humility, prudence, and wisdom, for these are essential to Wise Ignorance.
Act appropriately on good advice.