I’ve observed how leaders can be rewarded for their ability to take action. It may even be just an unspoken expectation in an organization. Given this, when a leader doesn’t know what to do, they still act.

When leaders take action for the sake of being in motion, it leads to dysfunctions such as micro-management, being directive, and low team morale. A misguided action can also make a problem worse.

So, what do you do when you don’t know what action to take? It’s a valuable time for demonstrating your leadership. Be vulnerable about not knowing, get curious about what’s going on, and ask your team for help. I’m willing to bet they have some ideas.

You don’t always need to be the person with the answers. You only need to keep leading.

You’ve got this.