Don’t fake it until you make it.

If you don’t know it, own it. Ask others who know more. Normalize not knowing.

 With many nonprofit leaders these days being new to leadership or new to the sector, I have seen a lot of really great, fresh perspectives. I have also seen an inclination to mask uncertainty with swagger. 

Not knowing does not mean you don’t belong in the room or in leadership, because we never “make it”. A leader’s job isn’t to know everything but rather to be willing to seek out good information. The key attribute that allows new leaders to create effective innovation rather than chaos is a willingness to engage others. Rather than assert a position or make a decision while still feeling uncertain, consider:

 🔹 Who else should be part of this decision? Who will be impacted, and how can I engage them so that this feels like a collective win?

🔹 Am I able and willing to articulate what has informed my perspective and note where the gaps might be in my understanding?

🔹 If I determine I indeed don’t know enough, who can I ask, where can I get training, what can I read?

 The confidence of a good leader isn’t a mask but something that stems from knowing they followed a thoughtful, transparent process. A good leader will then act. They sometimes will still make a call that does not pan out, but they will know they made the best decision they could with the information available and will learn from the mistake.

 Humility and curiosity beat faking and power posing any day.