In the old movie Monty Python and the Holy Grailwe see a common fear experienced. A knight is asked a riddle. Not knowing how to respond, he says, “I don’t know” and is thrown into a ravine, never to be seen again.

It’s silly, but it’s relevant. Particularly among leaders, many of us are reluctant to admit that we don’t know what to do. He may feel vulnerable; maybe even weak. So in times like these we are often tempted to “fake it till we make it” and hope it will work.

What if we took another direction? What if, when we don’t know what to do, we just said it? Would we, too, be thrown into the ravine? Would our stakeholders be heading for the hills? Would everything fall apart?

Recently I decided to find out.

In April 2023, I became aware of a need for public health communication in Nigeria. This was a need that my organization – Good Loud Media – was, from a technical perspective, uniquely equipped to meet. And I am delighted to share that today, this project has succeeded, with one hundred thousand people reached. But there was one factor that greatly complicated the situation: I had no expertise regarding Nigeria.

So I decided to start by reaching out to people who might have relevant experience and simply explaining to them: “Here’s what I want to do. But I don’t know how to do it in this context. Can you guide me?

Four key things happened on this journey – things that will likely benefit you as well.

1. Be specific about knowledge gaps

My first conversations were with my friend and colleague, Steve Parker, a retired U.S. Army officer who has decades of experience living and working throughout Africa. Parker gave me a great gift: he insisted that I explore More precisely the things I didn’t know. In other words, I was starting from a general posture of “I don’t know how to do this,” but Parker helped me understand that more specificity was needed.

Now I needed to be specific about my knowledge gaps. Parker insisted that I define the problem before designing a solution. To get there, I had to go through the “five Ws” – who, what, when, where and why – before tackling the “how”. This brought great clarity. The more specific I was about the things I didn’t know, the closer I was to actually knowing something.

The takeaway: When you “don’t know,” are you clear about your specific knowledge gaps? Otherwise, follow the Five Ws.

2. Specify the type of expert

As I began to better understand the specific gaps in my knowledge, I began to understand the type of subject matter experts I needed. I was able to say, “I don’t know how to do this, but someone with experience in XYZ probably does.” Can you help me find someone like that? This was essential because it meant I could tap into the power of referrals.

Once you know what kind of thing you’re looking for, it’s much easier to find it. If you ask enough people to refer you to a Nigerian marketing expert, you will eventually get an answer to this very specific need. (Many thanks to BJ Pittman and Jordan Slick of Kupanda Capital for their valuable advice in connecting you with the right resources to make this project possible.)

The bottom line: Do you know the type of expert(s) you need? Who in your network might know these people?

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3. Ask difficult and vulnerable questions

Once I contacted the relevant experts, it was time to accept the vulnerability. Here, asking two key questions opened up enormous possibilities.

First, “What do people typically get wrong about how your field works in your specific situation?” » And secondly, “What am I not vision?” Both questions are vulnerable and both are direct expressions of awareness: “You are a subject matter expert; I am not. But both can generate valuable information.

My friend and colleague, Olusola Samuel Ogunleye (a clinical psychologist practicing in one of the best psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria), explained to me a hundred details about what would work, what wouldn’t work and, most importantly, why. Simply put: he knew, and I asked, so he explained.

The takeaway: Are you ready to ask the difficult and vulnerable questions? If not, why not?

4. Separate Preferences from Effective Approach

Good Loud Media uses music for public health communications. So we ordered a dozen pieces of music from Nigerian creators. Ultimately, we had to choose one for awareness.

I had my preferences. But this experience in humility I had to, once again, admit that I didn’t know. I couldn’t say how a twenty-something Nigerian living in Lagos would react to one song over another. So I relied on my experts, and they made a choice that surprised me. They were right, as public feedback soon after launch proved. (One listener wrote, “I listened to this a dozen times today.” Just what we were all hoping for!)

The bottom line: Are you clear on the line between your preferences and your expertise?

Final Thoughts

Now, I’m still not an expert on Nigeria. But I know a lot more than I do about how to deal with my ignorance. And above all, the project was successful. Additionally, the colleagues I met are already partnering with me on a next-step initiative.

For me, these are great dividends after a year and a half of admitting what I don’t know. It turns out that humility can yield impressive results. (And I have never been in danger linked to the ravine!)

As you consider the overall possibilities of your life and career, what successes might await you if you admitted what you don’t know? What if you decided to find out?