Simple. Uncomfortable. Effective.
I’m going to give you the seven words upfront, because burying them at the end would be a waste of your time. This is one of the leadership questions that build trust faster than any training program.
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
Seven words. That’s it. And I’d argue they are the most underused two sentences in leadership. I’d argue that this question is one of the leadership questions that build trust the quickest.
Why Leaders Don’t Use Them
Because using them feels like admitting weakness. Like you don’t have the answer. Like you’re not in control. It also prolongs the conversation; especially when you have meetings to get to.
That fear is understandable. The hesitation could be explained. It’s also wrong.
The leaders I’ve watched struggle the most are the ones who can’t tolerate not having the answer. They’ve built their identity around being the smartest person in the room. (If that sounds familiar, this post on motivation is worth two minutes.) And that identity slowly becomes the ceiling on their team’s growth.
What Those Seven Words Actually Signal
When you say “I don’t know, what do you think?” you’re not signaling weakness. You’re signaling trust. You’re telling the people in front of you that their thinking matters and that you hired them to think, not just to execute.
That one shift changes the dynamic of every conversation that follows.
The Book Behind the Idea
I wrote I Don’t Know, What Do You Think? because this concept was too important to fit in a blog post or a training module. It’s a leadership fable. It’s a story about what happens when a leader finally stops trying to have all the answers and starts trusting the people around them.
It’s also the truest thing I’ve ever written. Because it’s what actually happened to me.
Start Here
This week, find one moment where you would normally give a direction or an answer. Pause. Then, ask the question instead.
“I don’t know. What do you think?”
See what comes back. You might be surprised how much was already there, just waiting to be asked.
Grab the free Lead Like Jim Checklist at the link below. Four leadership habits you can start this week.
Or pick up the full book at lucasmcalpin.com/leadership-fable/
Want more like this? Start with Chapter One of my book.
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