One practice for the meeting where you usually have the answer. Not a framework. Not a tip. One question, one silence, and what happens to your identity when expertise is no longer the thing that ends the room.
I personally, think and build decision systems, to determine how decisions are classified, who’s involved, what information is used, and how learning loops work. And these are things are brain is excellent in doing and if we wisely coupled with automation systems, following some structured methods, we are in a great place to be. There are many more, but keep it simple.
My concern is that we are delegating more things, and things that we need to do, but we are almost willingly put in others peoples hand. People that we don't really know about their intentions.
What most people don’t talk about is how much this speed-first culture is built on denying us leaders and teams the time and permission to not know, to think, and to design better ways of deciding in the first place.
A lot of mainstream productivity and leadership advice does over‑emphasise speed, decisiveness, and having ready answers, especially in high-growth or VC-shaped environments, which now dominate how we do business. But it’s not the full story, and it quietly ignores several uncomfortable truths about how good leadership actually works. It feels fast answers dominate the advice, especially in the "productivity" arena.
For me fast often means bypassing people’s thinking time. Speed is frequently a proxy for control. When a culture demands quick answers from leaders, it often reinforces dependence on them instead of building shared judgment and autonomy. For me our job isn’t to have all the answers, it’s to set direction, design decision systems, and make a small number of truly critical calls with care. Fast decisions are for reversible, low-impact choices; slow, debated decisions are for irreversible or game‑changing ones.
This was a fantastic article, and one I had to sit with for a minute. It made me think back and ask myself whether I’ve been asking questions to help my team discover the answer, or whether I’ve really just been guiding them back to the answer I already had in mind.
To be honest, I’m not completely sure. But I’m going to try the practice you recommended next week and see what it brings out of the team.
This is interesting and applicable to many industries. Take for example, the Bldg Industry: Architects, Engineers, Builders, Electricians, Plumbers, Mechanical, technology experts - contribute to the design & construction (usually a couple of years) and then the Facility Managers that ensure everything works as intended for the life-cycle (+/-80 years). And in the midst of this 'project' lives the occupants whose work/living is facilitated by the building - until it isn't and needs changes. There are many questions along the way and there should be many more in the planning stages. There is no 'one' answer but options influenced by the many participants. Strategic Listening then becomes the Leadership Verb that encourages questions - particularly contrary ones to ensure both intended fit & flexibility. A leadership strength is not the answer but thoroughness. A bit more time in the planning saves huge time/costs in the execution.
"A leadership strength is not the answer but thoroughness", that line reframes the whole job. I believe in having the discipline to slow down and as you note Kathleen, the math works a bit more time in planning saves exponential time/costs across an 80 year lifecycle. The hard part is convincing the two-year project team to invest for the 80 year team.
Yes, that is a huge challenge. I'm working on potential motivators or incentives. More attention is paid to thoroughness when folks have 'skin-in-the-game'.
This is a terrific description of how advice has its greatest value. As advisors, we have seen dozens of examples of issues that arise, but we have to strongly resist the ego boost of jumping up and saying, "Ooh, ooh, I know the answer!!" Of course you do, but that is not the point.
I personally, think and build decision systems, to determine how decisions are classified, who’s involved, what information is used, and how learning loops work. And these are things are brain is excellent in doing and if we wisely coupled with automation systems, following some structured methods, we are in a great place to be. There are many more, but keep it simple.
My concern is that we are delegating more things, and things that we need to do, but we are almost willingly put in others peoples hand. People that we don't really know about their intentions.
What most people don’t talk about is how much this speed-first culture is built on denying us leaders and teams the time and permission to not know, to think, and to design better ways of deciding in the first place.
A lot of mainstream productivity and leadership advice does over‑emphasise speed, decisiveness, and having ready answers, especially in high-growth or VC-shaped environments, which now dominate how we do business. But it’s not the full story, and it quietly ignores several uncomfortable truths about how good leadership actually works. It feels fast answers dominate the advice, especially in the "productivity" arena.
For me fast often means bypassing people’s thinking time. Speed is frequently a proxy for control. When a culture demands quick answers from leaders, it often reinforces dependence on them instead of building shared judgment and autonomy. For me our job isn’t to have all the answers, it’s to set direction, design decision systems, and make a small number of truly critical calls with care. Fast decisions are for reversible, low-impact choices; slow, debated decisions are for irreversible or game‑changing ones.
This was a fantastic article, and one I had to sit with for a minute. It made me think back and ask myself whether I’ve been asking questions to help my team discover the answer, or whether I’ve really just been guiding them back to the answer I already had in mind.
To be honest, I’m not completely sure. But I’m going to try the practice you recommended next week and see what it brings out of the team.
Is a simple practice, that can open new opportunities for inner growth.
I use it quite frequently and does make me capture a lot, to make my decisions.
This is interesting and applicable to many industries. Take for example, the Bldg Industry: Architects, Engineers, Builders, Electricians, Plumbers, Mechanical, technology experts - contribute to the design & construction (usually a couple of years) and then the Facility Managers that ensure everything works as intended for the life-cycle (+/-80 years). And in the midst of this 'project' lives the occupants whose work/living is facilitated by the building - until it isn't and needs changes. There are many questions along the way and there should be many more in the planning stages. There is no 'one' answer but options influenced by the many participants. Strategic Listening then becomes the Leadership Verb that encourages questions - particularly contrary ones to ensure both intended fit & flexibility. A leadership strength is not the answer but thoroughness. A bit more time in the planning saves huge time/costs in the execution.
"A leadership strength is not the answer but thoroughness", that line reframes the whole job. I believe in having the discipline to slow down and as you note Kathleen, the math works a bit more time in planning saves exponential time/costs across an 80 year lifecycle. The hard part is convincing the two-year project team to invest for the 80 year team.
Yes, that is a huge challenge. I'm working on potential motivators or incentives. More attention is paid to thoroughness when folks have 'skin-in-the-game'.
It is a challenge. Having skin in the game, will definitely put things in a different perspective.
This is a terrific description of how advice has its greatest value. As advisors, we have seen dozens of examples of issues that arise, but we have to strongly resist the ego boost of jumping up and saying, "Ooh, ooh, I know the answer!!" Of course you do, but that is not the point.
In tech we are conditioned to always have an answers, and sometimes we go in wrong directions simply because we didn’t stop to think.
Thank you @Mark Haas.
I like the simplicity of this practice. I normally see posts with a lot of tips and tricks and this one seems easy to implement. Thanks.
Thank you. I’m planning in writing more of these practical essays, to help people.