I thought great leaders always had the answer.
For 20 years in consulting, that belief made me successful — and safe.
Then I joined Amazon.
In my first week, I gave a mock executive presentation on cloud as a part of my onboarding.
I was confident. Polished. Prepared.
The feedback? Failed!
Not because of what I said —
but because of what I didn’t say.
When I didn’t know the answer, I tried to fill the silence.
What I should have said were the five words that changed my leadership forever:
👉 “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
Those five words flipped everything I thought I knew about leadership.
In consulting, confidence came from certainty — always having the answer.
At Amazon, confidence came from curiosity — owning what you didn’t know and acting fast to learn.
🧠 That simple shift reshaped how I show up with clients, teams, and peers.
It taught me that credibility isn’t built by pretending to know — it’s built by having the courage to find out.
Since then, those five words have become my quiet superpower.
They’ve changed how I build trust.
How I lead teams.
How I earn credibility — not by knowing everything, but by being willing to learn anything.
It’s one of the hardest shifts for high achievers to make —
moving from having all the answers to asking better questions.
But that’s where real leadership begins.
So here’s my (better) question for you:
👉 Do you feel comfortable saying, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out”?
Or does it still feel like failure?
***
I’m Howard — an executive coach and former consulting leader who helps high-achieving professionals navigate what’s next. Blending coaching, consulting, and practical strategy, I take a “no script” approach—start broad, get tactical fast, and focus on what moves careers and organizations forward. If you’re ready to lead with greater clarity, impact, and authenticity, let’s connect. Follow along for insights on leadership, growth, and navigating change with purpose. 🔔