Be “Confidently Humble”

Consulting has a strong “fake it till you make it” streak. It’s an inelegant way of saying you need to have the aptitude to learn fast. You move fast across clients and industries, and you’re rarely if ever a true “expert” on day one. Like many early in a career, I felt a strong need to sound like I knew more than I did.

The more I’ve come to realize in my career is that most clients don’t expect you to know everything. In fact many want that! They need fresh eyes. They expect you to learn quickly and to be honest. Saying “I don’t know yet” builds more trust than pretending otherwise.

Being confidently humble means holding that balance. I can be good at what I do and still be learning. I can have a point of view and stay open to being wrong.

As a leader, I’ve found this matters even more. When I confidently submit that I don’t have all the answers, people stop posturing and start contributing. The work gets better. The conversations get easier. Saying “I’m not sure yet, but we’ll figure it out together” has carried me and my teams through some tough moments.

Confident humility doesn’t make you less effective.
It’s makes you more trustworthy.