Ep 111 - How to Lead When You're Not the Expert in the Room

Career & Leadership Real Talk

Leading a team of experts when you're not the technical expert yourself can be daunting. In this week's episode, we explore how to make that transition from being the expert yourself to leading a team of experts effectively. We dive into why it's natural to feel vulnerable in this situation and share practical strategies to help you embrace your leadership role while letting your experts shine

Key points from this episode

• The vulnerable feelings that come with leading experts and why it's completely natural
• Why trying to become the expert in everything your team does is a common but counterproductive approach
• The power of being honest about what you don't know and asking "naive" questions
• How to use coaching skills to get the best from your technical experts
• The importance of focusing on outcomes rather than getting caught up in technical details

00:00 Introduction and Topic Overview

01:00 Understanding the Vulnerability of Leading Experts

03:00 The Orchestra Conductor Analogy

05:00 Building Trust Through Honesty

07:00 Real-World Example of Poor Leadership

09:00 What Makes an Effective Leader

11:00 The Power of Asking "Naive" Questions

13:00 Using Coaching Skills with Expert Team Members

15:00 Focusing on Outcomes vs Technical Details

17:00 Personal Leadership Journey Insights

20:00 Final Thoughts and Being Kind to Yourself

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub