The Certainty Trap: Why Leaders Don’t Need All the Answers

Lessons on Leadership, Confidence, and Adaptability Beyond One Industry

Let me tell you about Joaquin. For years, he worked in jobs where everything depended on speed. First on the floor, later as a manager, his strength was always the same: getting things done fast.

That skill made him quick on his feet—but it also kept him tied to one industry. Speed only works when you already know every detail of the system. Outside that familiar environment, he felt lost.

Joaquin didn’t want to remain trapped. His industry was changing rapidly, and he had the desire to explore new horizons. He started applying for managerial positions elsewhere. But he hit a wall: how could he “translate” his industry-specific experience into skills that would make sense in a different world?

When we looked at the problem together, it became clear that it wasn’t about a lack of capability. It was about his belief that, as a leader, he always had to know the answer—right away. If someone came to him with a technical issue, he thought being a good leader meant having an instant solution.

The first step

The first step was simple, but powerful: letting go of the idea that leadership meant knowing everything on the spot. Just taking the time to look things up, or asking around before responding, brought him huge relief.

Still, interviews worried him. What if they asked about something he didn’t know? The fear of not having the right answer almost kept him from showing up fully.

So we worked on reframing how he approached those conversations. He didn’t need to become a backup technician for his team. What mattered was his ability to lead, manage, and help others thrive. If a role demanded that he cover every technical detail himself, it simply wasn’t the right fit—at least not for his first step into a new industry.

What he really needed

To prepare, we opened up his past experiences, showing how the principles of his leadership applied beyond one sector. He learned to speak about his skills, and write about them in his application letters in ways that resonated with different companies. That gave him the confidence he needed. Not every offer was right, but eventually, Joaquin found the role that fit—because he no longer doubted that he could step into it.

Maybe you’ve felt like Joaquin—confident in one setting, but unsure if your strengths would carry over elsewhere. Leadership isn’t about having every answer on the spot. It’s about knowing how to find the answers, and guiding others with steadiness along the way.

Don’t wait until you feel you ‘know enough’ before making a move. That idea is often just a mask for self-doubt. True leadership doesn’t come from certainty—it comes from courage and self-trust. You may feel you don’t have it yet, but everyone does. The real question is whether you’re willing to cultivate it in order to thrive.