Monday Mentor Week 26-Stop Being the Answer Man (or Woman)

One of my most frustrating childhood memories involves asking my mom how to spell a word and receiving her stock response of “look it up.” She knew how to spell the word and she knew that her answer frustrated me but she said it consistently and constantly until I stopped asking.


Stopped asking her to spell the word and looking for it first in the dictionary. She taught me how to problem solve and think. She could have answered my question but I would not have grown and learned on my own. Well done mom.

The first step in reducing and eliminating sheep and sheep-like behavior in your team is to cease being the answer man.

This is an area in which the enemy you fight has an outpost on the top of your shoulders. It is powerful to have the answers. People look to you as the brightest bulb in a room. You are a walking Wikipedia of work knowledge.

With every question that you answer, you are strengthening the chain of co-dependence to you and micromanaging the work environment. When you answer the question of a team member, you are subtly telling them that they do not need to think because you will provide all the answers that they need.

Don’t underestimate this ego battle. It is so cool to ride your white horse to the rescue of your team members and fix their dilemmas. They need you. They tell you how important you are. It feels good. You have the knowledge and the power and they love you for it. Bah.

The most effective leader will inquire behind team member questions about what they believe is right. That sounds like “what do you think you should do Leon?” Further ratcheting this up response you might say something like “Terri, you saw the same issue last week and worked through it nicely.”

Some leaders will hesitate asking questions back because they fear it will make them look weak and unknowing. The opposite is quite true. It is the leader secure in his or her skill set and competencies as a leader that will not rely on being the answer person and seek to grow the knowledge and abilities of their team.

The absolute most effective leaders create and share power and not just store it up. In the equation of forcing team members to think and articulate their own solutions, you are shifting power to them and creating real growth in your team.

When asked, ask back. Don’t be the leader with all the answers, be the leader with all the questions. If you persist in having all the answers, congratulations, you have made yourself invaluable and you are in the last job you will ever have.