Saying I don't know
Admit uncertainty out loud instead of producing a plausible answer
Answering a question you cannot answer with three words rather than an improvised paragraph. Sinek treats it as the substance of psychological safety: if the person in charge can say it and keep their dignity, everyone below them can say it too. The alternative compounds. People act on a confident wrong answer, and they had no reason to doubt it. He pairs the habit with a mentor's move, replying what do you think, which sends the question back to whoever raised it.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- Simon SinekDoes it
Author · Start with WHY
Sinek calls the confidence to say I don't know the single best thing he ever learned, after years of believing a leader had to have every answer. He ties it to psychological safety: if the boss can admit it, so can everyone else.
Source: Simon Sinek: The Three Simple Words That Could Elevate Your Career“I don’t have to know all the answers and I don’t have to pretend that I do. The single best thing I ever learned was the confidence to say, ‘I don’t know.’”
Simon Sinek: The Three Simple Words That Could Elevate Your Career (opens in a new tab) · 18 Mar 2025
Aimed at the same thing
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Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.