Smart leaders see the gray in situations and reject the easy black-and-white answers. They know there are always tensions, competing values, and nuances at play as situations unfold.
The relative nature of beliefs and opinions requires them to see all sides of an argument or problem. The more they know, the less certain they usually are.
Thinking gray is what good leaders do. As they express their viewpoints, this stance naturally colors the strength of their self-belief. So, they disclaim and hedge as a way of showing others that they have not landed on the final answer or opinion.
They offer a viewpoint with hedges like: “I believe,” “In my opinion,” “One way of thinking about this,” “It appears,” “From what I’ve seen,” “It could be argued,” “It seems likely,” “From my limited understanding,” and “Based on what I know.”
They position their views with disclaimers like: “This is not my expertise,” “I may have reached an inaccurate conclusion,” “These are my first thoughts,” “This may be premature to say,” “I’m not the expert in the room,” “This is just my personal view,” and “I haven’t thought this completely through.”
Using hedges and disclaimers at times is both natural and necessary. They signal to others that the leader is not dictating an answer and they are open to alternate views and interpretations. All leaders situate their views as less firm by disclaiming and hedging on occasion. But what happens when a leader disclaims and hedges on nearly every viewpoint and opinion?
People follow strength, conviction, and confidence. They respect leaders who don’t have all the answers, but want to follow those who normally have the conviction to state their opinions clearly and without hesitation. They recognize the value of openness, but want a leader who can land on a conclusion and make a decision. Leaders who inadvertently use hedges and disclaims too frequently, or all of the time, undermine the confidence others want to have in them.
It’s an easy pattern to fall into. By seeing the world in its many shades of gray, leaders unknowingly disclaim and hedge without much thought. The question is whether this has become the style in which they express just about any view or opinion.
Leaders who are addicted to hedging and disclaiming usually have no idea that they do so before almost every opinion or view. The consequence is real. Team members walk away after conversations with the sneaky feeling the leader isn’t convicted about anything, ever. This undermines the leader’s credibility and their ability to get others to agree to a clear conclusion or decision.
Listen to yourself in meetings, discussions, and conversations, both in the workplace and at home. How often do you use hedges and disclaimers before you state your opinion?
If you’ve trained yourself to overuse them, just recognizing this reality will allow you to slowly make a change. If it’s not a problem for you, keep thinking in the gray. People appreciate that you don’t have all of the answers immediately. At least we think so, maybe, most of the time.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
