Perry Holley shares a story of a staff meeting where his boss asked what he thought. Perry’s response was, “Well, I think what you think boss, what do you think?” The boss responded, “If we, you and I, think the same thing, one of us will not be necessary, and it will not be me.”
This little anecdote illustrates a crucial reality when you move up in leadership, but it’s one that can be frightening when you’re new in your role. If you feel like you’re missing key details because of your rookie status, you don’t want to embarrass yourself sharing an opinion that reveals ignorance.
But here’s an important distinction that may help you manage some of that fear.
It’s important to have an opinion, but it’s not always crucial to volunteer it.
The exercise of formulating your personal opinion has several benefits:
1️⃣ It exercises your critical thinking skills.
2️⃣ It gives you clarity on where you and others are aligned or in conflict.
3️⃣ It helps you set a baseline so you can see how your understanding changes over time.
4️⃣ It can help you identify gaps in your knowledge or understanding.
5️⃣ It encourages you to be engaged in the conversation, possibly prompting insightful questions.
Early in each new role, it’s OK to keep your tentative opinions to yourself as you compare your thinking to that of your peers and work on expanding your understanding. But after you’ve done some listening and learning, it will be time to speak up and share your opinion. Because if you don’t have something personal to add to a conversation, soon you’ll no longer be necessary.
I’ve helped hesitant leaders learn to form and share their opinions with their bosses and peers. If that’s an area of leadership you’d like to improve, let’s talk. Visit stevedwire.com/talk to start the conversation.
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