Embrace what you don’t know

“I need somebody with the humility touch…” – OK, not quite the famous Springsteen lyric, but in today’s world of marketing leadership, it rings true.

We talk a lot about the importance of curiosity. The curiosity to ask why something has or has not happened, to get to the root cause of why, both in our business, and in our ways of working. This is especially the case when building an emotional connection with our customers, to dig deeper into the data in the hope of uncovering insight. It is a key skill the greatest marketers possess, as identified in my book The Whole Marketer.

But what about the ability to ask the questions? That requires humility.

Humility is the ability to share honestly when we don’t know or understand something. Easier said than done. Especially if you have self-doubt and worry what others will think.

It is, however, a strength. It’s the ability to say: “I don’t have all the answers.”

It’s the confidence to know and acknowledge what our strengths are, but also to have the self-awareness and understanding of what we don’t know ‘yet’.  Adopting a growth mindset. To seek out the perspective of others, to respect the knowledge and strengths they bring. By adopting humility we start asking the questions to close knowledge gaps and gain new perspectives to satisfy our curiosity and gain greater clarity.

Crucially, humility can lead to curiosity. Let go of the need to be the expert, and you’ll create space to learn, not only for yourself but for others. The phrase “I don’t understand this, can you tell me more?” is one of the most powerful tools we have. Yet many of us don’t use it.

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Under pressure

Let’s be honest, the pace of many working lives, coupled with the pressure from the wider business and even within our team “to know with confidence”, isn’t always conducive to asking for help.

Especially when marketers are faced with the role of educating the wider business on the impact of marketing and why we do what we do.

The fear is showing vulnerability will undermine all that we do know. While not forgetting our internal drivers and pressures to perform. For example, “to be perfect” or “be strong”.

There’s a pressure to know all aspects of marketing, from strategic thinking and brand strategy to AI, data analytics and the latest thinking in behavioural science and performance marketing. And that’s just a snapshot. If you’re leading a team, the bar feels even higher.

But as Charlotte Langley, CMO of Bloom & Wild said on my Whole Marketer podcast recently: “Being humble enough to know that you will have to get help to continue to grow and brave enough to ask for the help” and being open to how you may get that help from peers, inside and outside your organisation.

A common challenge marketing leaders share with me is the pressure they feel to have or give the answer instantly within meetings and in the day to day. This increased pressure doesn’t provide time or space for reflection or curiosity in their decision making, let alone space and time to create it for others.

Each of these situations ladders up to a culture where people feel the need to always have the answer, even when they don’t.

But that doesn’t serve us. In fact, it does the opposite.

So let’s explore a different way of showing up. One where we admit what we don’t know and then channel our curiosity to fill those gaps – not with ego, but with openness.

When we pretend to know more than we do, we miss the opportunity for ourselves – and our teams – to grow. And we pass on those same pressures. If leaders aren’t modelling humility, team members won’t feel safe doing it either.

Worse, we risk making flawed decisions based on incomplete understanding.

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Humility + curiosity = psychological safety

Two of the key components of psychological safety – humility and curiosity – go hand in hand. Together, they foster an environment where people feel safe to ask, explore, and build together. And we desperately need more of that.

When leaders show humility, they show people it’s okay not to have all the answers. When they follow that with curiosity – asking genuine questions, they encourage others to do the same. This creates a space where knowledge flows more freely, collaboration deepens, and people feel safe to contribute without fear of judgment. Resulting in better outcomes and a greater sense of belonging.

When we admit we don’t know something, and then take action to learn, the benefits ripple far beyond individual development. We learn faster, accessing others’ expertise more directly and effectively. We create stronger work with improved understanding that leads to more relevant and impactful outputs. We develop greater trust as openness fosters genuine connection and psychological safety.

And we improve wellbeing, as we lift the pressure to be perfect and give others permission to do the same.

As a leader, humility shifts the focus from individual performance to collective success. It’s not about diminishing your authority, it’s about building deeper credibility.

Thinking differently

So what can we do differently?

First, start from your strengths. True humility isn’t about denying what you know, it’s about being confident in your skills and strengths in what you do know, while remaining open to learning.

Also, be intentional and lead by example, admitting your own knowledge gaps and making space and time for others to do the same. Ask the questions of curiosity freely and frequently – even if you feel you “should” know the answer. Encourage others to ask the question and celebrate their bravery. Embrace diversity of thought and knowledge in your teams, which add different perspectives and close knowledge gaps.

If you are wondering where to start, then start with one relationship – perhaps one key relationship in your exec team or board and ask questions about key areas that you don’t fully understand, allowing them the space and opportunity for them to share their knowledge and understanding.

And when someone else says: “I’m not sure – can you help me understand?” recognise that as a moment of leadership, not weakness.

Marketing has never required more breadth and depth than it does today. No one can know it all. But what we can do is create a culture where not knowing is the start of something powerful and embrace what we do know and ask others the things we don’t.

So yes, I need someone with the humility touch. And I suspect you do too. So I leave with one of my favourite quotes.

“By being yourself, you put something wonderful into the world that wasn’t there before.” — Edwin Elliot

Let’s put more of that in the room.