The Courage to Say “I Don’t Know”

No matter whether you are a CEO/business owner, the newest entry-level employee or in a position somewhere between, this blog post is equally relevant to your situation!

In the current economy or any economic situation for that matter, to get the most from the people you interact with you’ve got to start with yourself. Honestly answer this question “How much confidence do I have in myself?” We don’t need the answer you think you should give and we don’t need you to answer in a way that reflects how you try to appear to others.

An honest answer is the starting place. We need the company to grow no matter the outside situation but we first need to be sure where we are starting from. It’s like mapping a trip. If you are in New York City and want to go to Chicago, head pretty much due west. But if you are really in Miami and yet think you’re in NYC and head due west, well Corpus Christi is a long way from Chicago.

So now we know where to start. First, know the truth. Second tell the truth. It is only the truly confident person who is willing to admit that he/she is not totally confident in every situation, does not know everything and thus needs some type of help from others. In this case, all you need to say is “I don’t know.” From there you can empower the others to look for a solution to whatever the problem is. Not knowing is very powerful.

See what Howard Schultz, Starbucks’ CEO, has to say on this subject!

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