A Socrates statue in front of Academy of Athens in Greece
When Malcolm Gladwell questioned the business world’s reverence for Jack Welch’s leadership style at GE, he underlined a stark paradigm shift: the move from a culture of command and control to one of trust.
We often equate good leadership with having all the answers. However, a profound transformation occurs when leaders shift their focus from providing solutions to fostering an environment of growth and learning. At its core, it is a shift away from focusing on oneself to focusing on others. Such a change not only builds a foundation of trust and psychological safety among teams, but also breeds innovation, adaptability, and resilience.
Admitting ignorance doesn’t imply a lack of intelligence. In fact, it is a hallmark of wisdom. No one grasped this better than Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, as he constantly emphasized his own lack of knowledge. His celebrated student Plato quoted him as saying, “I am wiser than that man. Neither of us probably knows anything worthwhile; but he thinks he does when he does not, and I do not and do not think I do.”
Socrates’ humble, inquisitive mindset has been honored through the “Socratic method” of teaching by asking questions rather than lecturing or dictating. Today, leaders are often coached to adopt a Socratic approach, with the aim of cultivating an atmosphere of curiosity, exploration, and openness to the limits of one’s knowledge.
But to establish a deeply ingrained culture of inquisitiveness and collaboration, leaders must first remove the barrier of ego. They need to overcome the idea that “not knowing” makes them look unintelligent. Once leaders embrace a stance of openness and humility, the benefits are manifold.
New perspectives. Charlie Munger, the late billionaire vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, modeled an open mindset throughout his investing career. As Jason Zweig wrote, Munger “possessed what philosophers call epistemic humility: a profound sense of how little anyone can know and how important it is to open and change your mind.”
Munger regularly challenged and killed his best ideas by questioning his assumptions and conclusions. He approached every conversation with an eagerness to learn from others, because he understood that no one has a monopoly on wisdom.
“Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant,” Munger told Zweig. Executives can take a page from Munger’s book by viewing every interaction as an opportunity to learn, thereby uncovering valuable insights from unlikely sources and enriching both personal and organizational knowledge.
Better problem solving. Elon Musk, the visionary behind Tesla and SpaceX, once advised, “Don't attach yourself to a person, place, or organization. Attach yourself to a mission, a calling, or a purpose.”
By remaining laser focused on a greater purpose, but open to the where, who, and how, leaders allow novel ideas to surface. Musk understands that solving some of the world’s most challenging problems means not having all the answers upfront.
“I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better,” Musk said. “I think that’s the single best piece of advice—constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.” This ethos enables Musk to relentlessly test, learn, iterate, and scale disruptive pursuits in areas like electric vehicles and space exploration.
Whether studying history’s brightest intellectuals or today’s most famous business leaders, one pattern holds: True wisdom and great achievements emerge from a passionate quest to keep exploring, adapting, and evolving.
By shedding ego and pride, leaders open themselves to discovering new solutions to old problems. They become more receptive to other viewpoints that can improve their initial perspectives. They more readily admit flaws in their existing strategies and correct course as needed, leading to remarkable results. As executives navigate a business environment disrupted by generative AI, geopolitical uncertainty, and more, embracing the power of not knowing may well be the most intelligent decision they can make.
