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When You're Not the Expert: Why Leaders Need Interactional Expertise
In this episode of The Visible Leader, I talk to Ed Fidoe - co-founder of the London Interdisciplinary School - about a concept that could radically shift how leaders operate: interactional expertise.
What do you do when your team knows more than you do? How do you lead across functions where you don’t have the depth of knowledge? And how can you avoid falling into the trap of blind trust or dangerous overconfidence?
Ed shares brilliant insights from his leadership journey, from running a university to launching theatre productions, and explains why not knowing doesn’t have to undermine your leadership - if you know how to ask the right questions, build context, and read between the lines. We also talk about Steve Jobs, Dunbar’s Number, and what good strategy actually looks like.
Key Takeaways:
- Interactional expertise is the ability to understand and talk fluently about topics you’re not an expert in - vital for cross-functional leadership.
- Leaders "acting out" might look like not asking questions or pretending to understand, driven by a fear of looking silly.
- Build your confidence by reading beyond your domain - whether it’s marketing, HR, or science.
- Get better at decision-making and communication by knowing when to zoom in and zoom out.
- Small shifts, like asking for a podcast recommendation from your product manager or keeping meetings to 5 people, can make a big difference.
Find Ed here:
- LIS: lis.ac.uk
- Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: Ed Fidoe
Curious how high performing your team really is? Take the High Performing Team Scorecard and get a clear view in under 5 minutes, with a personalised report on how to improve things fast.
Contact Me:
- Connect with me on LinkedIn
- Book your free 30-minute discovery call with me here: https://calendly.com/visiblydifferentcorine/1-2-hr-discoverycall
- Download my Leader's Guide to Increasing Your Impact, Influence & Free Time https://www.visibly-different.co.uk/increasing-your-impact/
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit and don’t forget to leave a rating and review!
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By Corine HinesIn this episode of The Visible Leader, I talk to Ed Fidoe - co-founder of the London Interdisciplinary School - about a concept that could radically shift how leaders operate: interactional expertise.
What do you do when your team knows more than you do? How do you lead across functions where you don’t have the depth of knowledge? And how can you avoid falling into the trap of blind trust or dangerous overconfidence?
Ed shares brilliant insights from his leadership journey, from running a university to launching theatre productions, and explains why not knowing doesn’t have to undermine your leadership - if you know how to ask the right questions, build context, and read between the lines. We also talk about Steve Jobs, Dunbar’s Number, and what good strategy actually looks like.
Key Takeaways:
- Interactional expertise is the ability to understand and talk fluently about topics you’re not an expert in - vital for cross-functional leadership.
- Leaders "acting out" might look like not asking questions or pretending to understand, driven by a fear of looking silly.
- Build your confidence by reading beyond your domain - whether it’s marketing, HR, or science.
- Get better at decision-making and communication by knowing when to zoom in and zoom out.
- Small shifts, like asking for a podcast recommendation from your product manager or keeping meetings to 5 people, can make a big difference.
Find Ed here:
- LIS: lis.ac.uk
- Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: Ed Fidoe
Curious how high performing your team really is? Take the High Performing Team Scorecard and get a clear view in under 5 minutes, with a personalised report on how to improve things fast.
Contact Me:
- Connect with me on LinkedIn
- Book your free 30-minute discovery call with me here: https://calendly.com/visiblydifferentcorine/1-2-hr-discoverycall
- Download my Leader's Guide to Increasing Your Impact, Influence & Free Time https://www.visibly-different.co.uk/increasing-your-impact/
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit and don’t forget to leave a rating and review!