Is Your Culture Rewarding Knowing or Learning?
Is Your Culture Rewarding Knowing or Learning?
In most organisations, there’s an invisible but powerful question underpinning daily interactions: does our culture reward knowing, or does it reward learning?
On the surface, it might seem subtle, but the distinction has profound implications for leadership, performance, and growth. Knowing is about demonstrating expertise, showing confidence, and appearing competent. Learning, on the other hand, is about curiosity, humility, and the willingness to explore uncertainty. One measures skill, the other cultivates growth.
The Pressure to Know Everything
As leaders, we often feel pressure to “know everything”, especially as we move up the hierarchy toward the C-suite. The expectations are clear: you are meant to be decisive, confident, and informed. Yet, paradoxically, the most effective leaders are those who can openly acknowledge gaps in their knowledge without fear of judgment. This isn’t about showing weakness; it’s about modelling a culture where asking questions, experimenting, and learning from missteps is normal.
The Human Response to Not Knowing
But let’s pause and consider a fundamental human reaction: how do you feel when you don’t know something? For many, it triggers discomfort, self-doubt, or even fear of appearing inadequate. This reaction is natural because our brains are wired to avoid uncertainty and social risk; our own self-protection parts kick in to keep us safe. But do they really keep us safe, or does it mean we continue to play the small game, or we keep doing things in an organisation because we are too afraid to challenge the status quo in case we get a less-than-desirable reputation?
The challenge is how organisations can create psychological safety so that those feelings don’t translate into silence or risk-averse behaviour. When people feel safe to admit “I don’t know,” the organisation gains something far more valuable than mere appearances: it gains insight, collaboration, and a culture of authentic growth.
Growing Leaders Who Embrace Learning
So, how do we grow leaders who are comfortable with learning, with failing intelligently, and with modelling curiosity? It begins with three interconnected approaches:
Explicitly model learning at the top. Senior leaders set the tone. When a CEO or executive openly says, “I don’t know, let’s explore this together,” it signals that curiosity is valued more than pretension. It normalises uncertainty as a natural part of problem-solving rather than a vulnerability.
Embed structured reflection and feedback. Organisations can create systems that reward inquiry over certainty. Team debriefs, post-mortems, or leadership roundtables that focus on lessons learned rather than “who was right” shift the emphasis from knowing to learning. Measurement is key here: capture not only outcomes but the quality of curiosity, problem framing, and collaboration. See if you can notice the person or people who asked the initial questions that served the entire room to participate in a fuller conversation. Don't fall into the trap of rewarding the last person who spoke and offered what appears to be the solution when their thinking was generated from the entire conversation and the questions that went before them.
Cultivate intuitive decision-making grounded in evidence. Learning isn’t about being reckless; it’s about safe experimentation. Encourage leaders to ask great questions, gather insights, test hypotheses, and iterate. This creates a feedback loop where learning becomes a strategic advantage rather than a risk to reputation.
Language and Behaviour: Shaping a Curious Culture
Creating a culture grounded in curiosity and great questions also requires language. How often do we hear “We don’t have time for questions” or “Figure it out”? Replace these with “Let’s explore this together” or “What don’t we know yet?” Words shape behaviour. Reward leaders who ask insightful questions, admit uncertainties, and encourage exploration.
Making It Safe For Senior Leaders
It’s also crucial to recognise the pressure on senior leaders. The higher one climbs, the more isolating it can feel to admit not knowing. Yet, by normalising vulnerability and curiosity at the top, leaders not only model the behaviours they wish to see but also unlock organisational agility. Employees notice who can admit gaps and who can genuinely learn, and they follow those who demonstrate both courage and curiosity.
The Strategic Value of Learning Over Knowing
Ultimately, organisations that reward learning over knowing create resilient, innovative, and adaptable leaders. They foster environments where admitting ignorance isn’t shameful; it’s an opportunity for growth. They nurture leaders who are confident in their ability to navigate uncertainty, not by pretending to have all the answers, but by asking the right questions and embracing the insights that emerge along the way.
In this kind of culture, saying “I don’t know” becomes a statement of strength, not weakness. And when leaders consistently demonstrate that strength, it ripples throughout the organisation, embedding curiosity, learning, and adaptive leadership at every level.
Need some help
As a senior leader, the way you handle uncertainty sets the tone for your entire organisation. In our one-on-one coaching programme, we work closely with you to embrace curiosity, model learning, and navigate complexity with confidence. Together, we’ll strengthen your inner leadership, so you can lead authentically, make smarter decisions, and inspire your teams to grow, experiment, and thrive. If you're keen to know more, let's chat.