We had a highly visible project, an excellent technical team, and some important questions we couldn’t answer.
As a new manager, I knew that if we got this wrong, it wouldn’t impact just our stakeholders. It could also affect the confidence senior management had in my leadership.
I wanted to prove that I was capable of leading this team and making sound decisions.
And I also knew we didn’t have all the answers.
I trusted my team’s expertise, yet I wasn’t willing to risk the success of our project by moving forward with unanswered questions.
So we brought in a third-party specialist to assess our approach, make recommendations, and help us implement the solution.
That decision did more than help us deliver a successful project. It strengthened my credibility as a new manager.
In this week’s episode, we’ll explore how seeking expert advice can strengthen your decisions and help you earn the trust and respect of your senior management.
Seeking Expertise Without Losing Authority as a Woman Leader in IT
When I managed our Portal Services team, we had some important decisions to make about our internal and external websites.
I had an excellent technical team, and I valued their knowledge and experience.
But we were exploring options that raised questions we didn’t have the expertise to answer.
And as a new manager, I wanted to make sure we were making informed decisions rather than moving forward based on what could have been incorrect assumptions.
After discussing our options with the team, we decided to bring in a third-party specialist who had experience with the technology we had purchased.
They assessed our approach, provided recommendations, and worked alongside our technical team during implementation.
What I appreciated about that experience was that we weren’t simply handing the project over to someone else.
We were gaining the knowledge, perspective, and expertise we needed to make better decisions.
And while I relied heavily on the recommendations of both my technical team and the outside specialists, I was still responsible for making important judgment calls and approving the direction we took.
The project was successful—our stakeholders were happy with the results, my team received lots of accolades for their excellent work, and it strengthened the confidence my senior management had in my leadership.
That experience reinforced something I’ve carried throughout my IT leadership career: You can leverage someone else’s expertise without giving away your authority.
Over the years, I’ve found three practices particularly valuable when using outside expertise to strengthen my decisions and build credibility.
1. Trust, but verify.
I had tremendous confidence in my technical team, yet that didn’t mean we shouldn’t validate our thinking.
Bringing in a third-party specialist gave us an independent perspective, helped answer our questions, and reduced the risk of overlooking something important.
Throughout my IT leadership career, I’ve found this approach invaluable.
It’s not about questioning someone’s abilities. It’s about making sure you have the information you need to move forward confidently.
2. Be willing to hear something you didn’t expect.
When you bring in outside experts, you have to be open to the possibility that they’ll recommend something different from what you and your team originally envisioned.
It’s easy to seek validation when you expect someone to confirm you’re right. But there’s also great value in being willing to consider other perspectives.
You don’t bring in experts just to confirm what you already believe. You bring them in to discover what you might be missing—risks, technical difficulties, and complexities.
This demonstrates both humility and confidence. Two qualities that can strengthen others’ respect for your leadership.
3. Own the decision, not all the expertise.
Seeking expert advice doesn’t mean handing over your decision-making responsibility.
You listen to your technical team, bring in specialists, and consider their recommendations. But as the manager, you’re ultimately responsible for deciding how to proceed.
You don’t have to know more about the technology than the specialists. You need to understand their recommendations, ask the right questions, evaluate the risks, and make an informed decision.
Knowing when to seek outside expertise demonstrates strong leadership. Having the confidence to evaluate that advice and make the final decision is what builds credibility and earns respect.
Stay empowered and lead assertively!