Good leaders know their limits—and acknowledge other people’s talents. Sometimes making the best call requires delegating an important decision to someone on the team who has special expertise. A confident leader should always feel comfortable deferring to the expert in these situations.
In critical missions—whether it’s in the office or in the field—expertise is more important than rank.
In THE DICHOTOMY OF LEADERSHIP, former Navy SEALs (and current corporate consultants) Jocko Willink and Leif Babin explain it this way: a sniper should always be allowed to choose his own position. The sniper’s special training is more important than the leader’s opinion.
Good leaders know how to collaborate in ways that bring out the best in each team member. And that requires ceding the floor whenever someone else has more expertise. For more tips on being an effective leader, check out our Instaread on THE DICHOTOMY OF LEADERSHIP.
