The Power of 'I Don't Know Yet' in Leadership

19 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief excerpt from her YouTube talk, Dr. Cara explains how embracing vulnerability transformed her leadership style. She recounts a pivotal moment when she stopped trying to control her image and instead focused on how she truly showed up for her team. By openly stating, “I don’t have the answer to this yet, but I’m working through it,” she observed immediate relief among her team members, who felt granted permission to be human rather than to hide perceived weakness. A senior leader later confirmed that they had been waiting for such honesty, reinforcing the idea that admitting uncertainty can foster trust, authenticity, and a healthier team culture.

When I finally understood this, when I stopped trying to control how I appeared and started focusing on how I was actually showing up, a lot of things shifted for me. I remember the first time I sat with my team and said, I don't have the answer to this yet, but I'm working through it. The relief on their faces was immediate, not because I'd admitted weakness, but because I'd finally given them permission to be human, too. One of my senior leaders later told me, I've been waiting for you to say something like that for months. It made me.