When’s the last time you heard a leader say, “I don’t know?"

As we learn in this week’s discussion with returning guest Binata Mukherjee, MD, on the Faculty Factory Podcast, those three words actually humanize a leader and signal confidence.

It’s an important point for this interview’s broader discussion on growth mindsets. Growth-minded leaders are willing to be candid about not having all the answers as they are there to facilitate learning and help find those answers. 

At the University of South Alabama (USA) in Mobile, Dr. Mukherjee serves as Assistant Dean for Faculty and Professional Development in the Whiddon College of Medicine and is Associate Professor of Internal Medicine with USA Health. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Management and Director of Healthcare Leadership Initiatives in the Mitchell College of Business at USA.

“Leader As Coach”

The concept of “leader as coach” describes practicing leadership as a facilitator who teaches people rather than doing the work for them or micromanaging day-to-day tasks.

It’s about continually reminding the team of the direction and shifting from a manager mindset to a leader mindset. As we learn in this discussion with Dr. Mukherjee, leadership is defined by behavior, not persona.

Dr. Mukherjee discusses Carol Dweck’s 2006 book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," which explores the dynamic between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset and why that distinction matters.

 “Building trust and enabling an environment of psychological safety are the most important things about working with a team,” Dr. Mukherjee points out.

More Resources to Explore

Faculty Factory Podcast No. 327 - "Know Thyself: Keys to Self-Awareness Amid Uncertainty with Binata Mukherjee, MD, MBA": https://facultyfactory.org/binata-mukherjee/

"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success": https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322

Learn more about the growth mindset from the Harvard Business School: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/growth-mindset-vs-fixed-mindset