Dr. Kara assumed a team member understood a task without checking in, creating pressure that silenced questions. The mistake taught her that real leadership isn't about control or credentials, but staying curious about what you don't know.
Picture this. You're the person with the PhD, the certificates, the extensive training. You spend years of building expertise, and you're feeling pretty confident about your knowledge. Then you assign what you think is a simple project to a team member and assume they understand everything you're thinking. Three weeks later, you realize they've been struggling in silence, too intimidated to ask questions because they think that you'll judge them for not understanding something that seems so obvious to you. That was me, Dr. Kara. The person who preaches connection and psychological safety, accidentally creating an environment where someone was too scared to ask for help. That humbling moment taught me something profound. Having a growth mindset isn't about accumulating knowledge. It's about staying curious enough to keep learning. Especially about how much you don't know. Today, I want to share why that mindset has become my secret weapon as a connected leader.
