Three hundred years ago Alexander Pope penned this phrase: “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” I wonder if he thought it might apply to leaders in the modern world? Maybe, maybe not.
Confidence v. Arrogance
One of the character traits that has long attracted me to other people is confidence. Leaders who are willing to actually make decisions, take action, and not get bogged down in the endless self-talk of paranoia and fear of blame so as to be guaranteed not to fail, are the ones that I want to follow.
Remember, every leader is also led by another.Danger, Danger
When you’re dealing with a leader who has convinced him or herself that the little bit of knowledge they have on a topic is enough to justify a major decision what do you do? Your radar may be going crazy, but if you remain quiet and allow the action to move forward without additional discussion what does that say about you?
Are you part of the danger too?
How About You
Knowing “just enough” to be be dangerous is a fun joke in the workplace…until someone acts on it. Maybe its time that we critically evaluate those that have a little bit of knowledge and make sure we help them fully understand the big picture before allowing damaging decisions to be made. Are you up for that HR?
I’d love to hear from you.
No Excuses.
