The Leadership Mistake That Silently Stalls Growth

Ambitious leaders want to drive progress. Yet, one of the most common mistakes I see at senior level is believing leadership means having all the answers.

It is an easy trap. After all, your people look to you for direction. Investors expect confidence. Clients want certainty. But here’s the reality: when leaders default to “telling” instead of “challenging,” they unintentionally choke the very growth they’re trying to achieve.

Why “Having All the Answers” Backfires

• It limits innovation – if every solution must come from the top, teams stop experimenting or bringing fresh ideas.

• It erodes accountability – people wait for instructions rather than owning outcomes.

• It blinds leaders to risk – when the conversation is one-way, blind spots multiply unnoticed.

The strongest leaders I work with don’t posture as the smartest in the room. Instead, they ask the best questions. They create clarity about direction and trust their teams to deliver.

From Telling to Challenging: A Real-World Shift

In one mentoring engagement, a CEO was frustrated that her management team never seemed to take initiative. She was constantly giving instructions, firefighting, and carrying the weight of every decision.

Together, we reframed her role. Rather than issuing answers, she began to pose questions:

• “What do you think the best option is here?”

• “What assumptions are we making?”

• “How will we measure if this works?”

The effect was immediate. Her managers stepped up, started debating options with each other, and took ownership of results. Within months, the culture shifted from dependency to accountability.

Why External Perspectives Matter

Even experienced boards and senior teams fall into echo chambers. That’s why the best leaders actively seek outside challenge  whether from mentors, advisors, or independent non-executive directors (NEDs). An external voice cuts through internal politics, surfaces blind spots, and asks the questions that no one inside dares to raise.

The Takeaway

Leadership is not about control; it is about clarity and trust. If you find yourself always giving answers, pause and try asking a better question instead. You may be surprised at how quickly your team grows in confidence, accountability, and performance.