The Art of Not Knowing
Learning is the experience of moving from not knowing to knowing. We invest most of our time and energy on the knowing side of that experience. But, the more I lean into the idea of embracing a learning bias in leadership, the more I realize leaders need to spend a lot more time understanding our relationship with not knowing.
The Challenge of Not Knowing
Ask yourself:
What is your comfort level with not knowing? Your tolerance for ignorance, a lack of knowledge or understanding, in yourself or — more importantly — in others? How comfortable are you with openly displaying what you don’t know?
And here’s one: How often do you intentionally place yourself into settings where you can practice not knowing?
In my observations of high-level leaders over the years, including myself, I have to say that most of us have a fairly uncomfortable relationship with not knowing. This is worth thinking about because a leader’s knowledge resilience — the orientation, emotions, patience, and acceptance of not knowing — isn’t only individual, it extends to our teams and even to our organizations.
Implications for Leaders and Organizations
An underdeveloped dynamic with not knowing stunts individual and organizational growth, innovation, and performance. At best, leaders express disappointment when their teams don’t have answers. I’ve seen frustration and impatience. At worst, I’ve watched leaders do what I can only describe as “playing with their food,” when an individual doesn’t know what the leader thinks they should know in the moment the leader thinks it should be known. In either case, teammates quickly learn to hide ignorance, entrench status quo, and bury true curiosity.
To qualify: I am not writing about failure to prepare or failure to display appropriate levels of mastery in a person’s area of responsibility. Rather, in cultures where innovation is necessary, where change is constant and growth the imperative, success requires continuous learning. And learning is a process that takes time and requires the right conditions.
Cultivating Psychological Safety
Authentic learning leaders encourage people to flourish in places of not knowing. Failure for these leaders is not only tolerated, but psychologically safe for every member of the team.
Recent research underscores the critical role of psychological safety in organizational success. Psychological safety, as highlighted by studies from Harvard Business Review and other sources, refers to an environment where team members feel safe to take interpersonal risks, such as admitting ignorance or asking questions without fear of ridicule or punishment. This atmosphere not only encourages open dialogue, but also fosters a sense of trust and collaboration among team members.
And you can’t fake it.
Leaders who value psychological safety create a foundation where "not knowing" is not seen as a weakness, but as an opportunity for exploration and learning. Teams are more likely to share innovative ideas, experiment with new approaches, and ultimately achieve higher levels of performance. By embracing a learning bias and cultivating psychological safety, learning leaders not only nurture individual growth, we enable our organizations to adapt more effectively to change and uncertainty, driving sustained success and innovation.
Developing a Learning Culture
Learning isn’t inherent in any system or culture. If your expectation as a leader is a knowing and growing team that proves masterful at innovation, growth, and change over time, you must allow for healthy seasons of not knowing.
Learning leaders approach this differently. First, they start with self and explore their leadership practice and style to consider the environment they create.
Here are four questions worth your reflection if you aspire to develop a culture with space for not knowing:
What specific steps have you taken to set an expectation for continuous curiosity and exploration?
How do you ensure that you lead with clarity about priorities?
Identify the ways you incorporate the time necessary for deeper learning and understanding from your teams?
How do you model a healthy relationship with failure?
Dedicate time to reflect purposefully on these questions. And then? Take time to observe the settings where you and your team should be comfortably not knowing. Invite the ambiguity. Offer permission through patience. And see what growth and unlimited ideas begin to flourish.
