Why generalists out-predict experts

At a leadership workshop, the facilitator asked a mixed group of men and women a simple question: “Who here is an expert on breastfeeding?” Several men raised their hands. Most of the women did not. When asked why, the men said: “My wife breastfed 3 kids.” The women said: “I've breastfed, but I'm not a lactation consultant.” Same proximity. Same lived experience. Very different rules for what qualified as expertise.

What struck me wasn't breastfeeding. It was how differently people decided whether they were experts at all.

The same thing happens with my first-time executive clients, especially the introverts. Like the women in that room, they set the bar impossibly high - discounting the cross-functional expertise they've built and holding back from sharing a POV on anything outside their official lane. They think: I'm not the owner of that area. I don't have all the context. What if I look stupid? I don't want to step on toes. They stay quiet and the team loses out.

In a 20-year study tracking 28,000 predictions, psychologist Philip Tetlock found that generalists who drew from multiple perspectives consistently outperformed specialists in their own domains. You don't have to be the depth expert in every area. But you likely have enough breadth across the business to spot patterns specialists can't see - and at this level, that's often what helps the system see itself more clearly, sooner.

One paradox I've noticed, and experienced myself: the insights that feel most obvious to you are often the ones others can't see at all. When something feels basic or self-evident, it's easy to assume it doesn't count as expertise. Often, it turns out to be the biggest “aha” in the room.

A few phrases to start entering high level conversations more regularly:

• “From my vantage point, a pattern I'm seeing is…”

• “One thing I want to put on the table before we decide…”

• “Here's the lens I'm bringing…”

So here's the question: Where are you underestimating the value you bring because you're not the “expert”?

At senior levels, leadership isn't about knowing everything. It's about helping the system see itself more clearly, sooner.