7 Things to Know for Non-Expert Leaders

Let’s be honest, it’s never easy when someone points out to you that you are not the expert. Whether or not it’s true doesn’t really matter, but it really attacks the pride and even more so when you are a young, new manager.
 
Now imagine having the Founder of the company who changed the industry with his patent, look you in the eyes and say, “Tom, you see, you’re not an expert.” I don’t know if his spider senses started tingling or if it was the sound of my jaw hitting his office table that made him realize I was crushed, but he immediately reassured me that this was a good thing. 
 
He went on to say that because of this, I wouldn’t get sucked into my own biases and the need to provide solutions that the hard-core scientists and engineers would. He said my lack of expertise would set me apart from others so I could ask questions, read the room, and trust the team.
 
But he didn’t say it would be easy.
 
Prepare to be Overlooked
While they may not go as far as disrespecting you, it might be possible that they discount you and don’t see you as a threat, so they are ambivalent. This isn’t a bad scenario as everything you do will surprise them. Your progress and insight will increase your impact to the team and gradually they will become a big fan.
 
Don’t Carry a Chip
Just because you know that they don’t see you as an expert, you can’t carry that chip on your shoulder. If you do, it can cause unnecessary conflict and tension on both your work team and among your leadership peers. You will be tempted to prove your worth and value which at its best will be annoying and at its worst will be seen as lacking integrity trying to be something you are not.
 
Don’t Be a Pushover
While you can’t fight every fight, you don’t have to let people discount you with every breath. It’s tempting to retaliate with a witty comment about “if they know so much, then why are you not in charge?” but you know that it will go south really quick. Subtle opportunities to reinforce what you are bringing to the table while highlighting the impact it has on the team, is a way to align both of your efforts to support the team’s goals.
 
Your Value Will be Questioned
This will happen by both the leadership team and your team. Many managers work their way up through having expertise in their field. Their reputation and status are based upon what they know. I recall a story shared at a conference by a Senior Facilities Executive, where he described having a disagreement with the Senior Executive leading their Technology department. The Technologist dismissed the solution proposed by the Facilities lead with a simple comment, “you see, our group has the “big brains.”
 
Oh, and those reporting to you won’t be happy either. People who are experts tend to measure themselves on what they do and accomplish, not necessarily on impact. How can you, someone who clearly doesn’t know anything about this, lead them? You will need to demonstrate your value over time, by embracing their expertise and thriving in the role of leader. Use your skills to remove obstacles so your team can create a bigger impact.
 
Build Connections
Initially, I focused on maintaining grassroots contacts across the company. Technician level people that were the heart of the workforce that I could count on to share the pulse of the employee with me. Plus, it gave me “street cred” when I would make comments or ask questions because those employees would vouch for me. 
 
There was a transformational moment for me when I was transitioning into upper management. The owner approached me and was critical of my approach to build key connection points within the group. My first instinct was to become defensive. But as we talked, I gained clarity that his point was that the single connections moved too slow and wouldn’t serve as well in the larger organization. He likened it to transplanting a plug of grass and waiting for it to take hold and spread or putting down fresh sod. That conversation enabled me to expand not only how I build connections, but why connections are important.
 
Lean in to it
Embrace it. Double down. Own every part of it and put your faith in your team… who ARE the experts! Give them the opportunities to showcase themselves to management. Coach them on delivery and support them as they navigate presenting to management. With your leadership peers, you can stress the importance of empowering teams, how you practice trust, and the importance of using good communication to build connections.
 
Leverage it to Receive Grace
You can’t use it as an excuse or crutch, but you can, on occasions, leverage it to have others extend to you grace.  “As you know, I’m not an expert…” or “we knew this was going to be a learning curve…” or maybe, “As I continue to get comfortable in this role…” But let’s be very clear, if you use this too often, you are reinforcing their concerns and fears. This is ONLY effective when you are actually making progress.
 
Never think less of yourself for not being an expert. While your expertise may not be in a specific functional area, you need to grow your expertise in the traits that make you a leader: Builder of Trust, Being a Connector, Empowering Others, Sharing Your Vision, and Being a Servant Leader. By focusing on the employees, your expertise will grow, and you will be an expert, Beyond Today.

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