Is your proficiency blinding you to vulnerability?

Proficiency builds a rich set of assumptions that may blind you to risk.

THINK ON IT: Is your proficiency blinding you to vulnerability?

The more proficient you are, the more well-regarded an expert you are in your own field, the more likely you are to rely on the rich set of assumptions you’ve constructed over time. 

This creates a proficiency paradox: the more capable we are, the more blind we become to any changes in the underlying assumptions we unconsciously rely upon. We are less likely to take inventory of our assumptions and validate that they are still true.

And, worse. We’re more likely to stay entrenched and defend our point of view.

Becoming entrenched in our assumptions is how we get blind-sided by disruption. It’s almost always the newcomer to the industry, the one who doesn’t possess the same assumptions, who shakes things loose. Or the outsider who is brought into a company by its board to turn it around.

The advantage a beginner, or an outsider, brings is that they don’t know what assumptions to rely upon. So they must test them. 

Likewise, competent strategic leaders test their assumptions. Not all of the assumptions, mind you. That would be impossible–and unproductive.

Instead, they unearth the assumptions they have about the critical issues and strategies of the company–those they can’t afford to get wrong. And they challenge and invite challenge from others about them. 

Think about the most critical issue facing your business today. What are you assuming to be true only because it’s always been that way? What might make it not true? What evidence would you have if you made an argument for the other side? 

Or play the role of a disruptor and ask yourself, “If I were to be replaced by someone outside my company, what might they do differently that I’m not considering?”

Better to disrupt your own business than blithely watch someone else do it.

Being proficient is great, but it can also hinder your leadership. Paid subscribers read on to learn about proficiency drag and how it can unwittingly affect you. (Become a paid subscriber here.)

“Most of our assumptions have outlived their uselessness.” — Marshall McLuhan

---

Thanks for being a subscriber to Strategic CEO. If you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend or colleague.