“The belief that there is only one truth, and that oneself is in possession of it, is the root of all evil in the world.” — Max Born, Nobel Laureate in Physics
We’re told leaders must be decisive, confident, and unwavering. But in today’s complex, polarized workplaces, those traits may be doing more harm than good. I’d argue the most dangerous leaders are the ones who are absolutely sure of themselves.
Doubt, specifically intellectual humility, isn’t weakness. It’s a strength. It may even be the most underrated trait of inclusive leadership. There is only place for new perspectives and experiences into your decision-making when old perspectives can be doubted and questioned.
Inclusion thrives in environments where uncertainty is allowed. And the research is clear: leaders who question their own beliefs, actively seek out unwelcome perspectives, and admit their limitations, create safer, more innovative, and more connected teams.
Doubt Is Out of Fashion. And That’s a Problem.
Corporate leadership is still biased toward boldness. Confident speakers rise faster. Decisive decision-makers get promoted. But confidence and competence are not the same.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect explains why: people with low ability tend to overestimate their skills. We see this play out in boardrooms where overconfident leaders claim their teams are “inclusive and open,” while their employees report a very different experience. Leaders making these claims are not deliberately bragging, but they lack the realization that they only see their own – probably distorted – version of reality.
“The most ignorant suffer the most from a problem they cannot see themselves,” I wrote in chapter 10 of The Unwelcome Perspective. We are blind to our own shortcomings. Often pleasant, but comfort doesn’t create strong work cultures. Brutal honesty does.
Intellectual Humility: The Core of Inclusive Leadership
Intellectual humility is the capacity to admit that your knowledge is limited, your beliefs may be flawed, and someone else might know better. It’s the opposite of ego-driven certainty.
Dr. Tenelle Porter, who researches this trait, found that people with high intellectual humility are more open to different perspectives and more willing to revise their opinions. In classrooms, it creates psychological safety. In boardrooms, it builds trust, openness, and curiosity: key drivers of inclusion.
“We show confident humility when we communicate with some uncertainty. It invites nuance.” — Adam Grant, Think Again
Science Shows Us How to Doubt
Consider the most inclusive debate in science history: the nature of light. For centuries, Newtonians, and later Albert Einstein himself, argued light was made of particles. Huygens and Young argued it was a wave. De Broglie proposed both were right: light is both a particle and a wave.
This victory of nuance was only possible because scientists know that insights come after doubt about previous held beliefs. They engage with opposing ideas. They together explore what they don’t yet understand.
Now imagine your leadership team doing the same when discussing gender bias, psychological safety, or hiring practices. That’s intellectual humility in action. That’s inclusion.
Most Leaders Think They Know More Than They Do
The “Illusion of Explanatory Depth” explains our overconfidence. We believe we understand something—until we try to explain it. Ask someone to describe how a rainbow forms or how the US electoral college works. You’ll see their certainty crack.
This illusion applies to inclusion too. Many leaders claim to understand DEI, but can’t explain the lived experience of those affected by exclusion. They assume they know what “safe” feels like.
The Higher You Climb, the Less You Doubt
In corporate hierarchies, each step up reinforces the illusion that you’re right more often than others. You’re listened to more. You get less pushback. You start believing your press releases.
But research shows the opposite: highly educated leaders are more prone to confirmation bias in politically charged topics. Intelligence doesn’t protect you from bias: it only helps you justify it.
“If we assume our management consists of the most intellectually capable individuals, boardrooms are more prone to bias than any other place in the company.” — quote from The Unwelcome Perspective
That makes the C-suite the least likely place for true inclusion to take root.
Humble Leaders Build Stronger Teams
Here’s what intellectual humility brings to teams:
- Higher psychological safety: Teams feel more comfortable speaking up when their leader admits not knowing everything.
- Stronger performance: Humble leaders improve team productivity and job satisfaction.
- Less groupthink: Dissenting views are welcomed, not shut down.
When leaders express doubt, they model curiosity. That signals others it’s safe to think differently and express these thoughts, contributing to the collective wisdom with previously unwelcomed perspectives.
3 Practical Ways to Lead with Doubt
- Switch to Scientist Mode
In tough conversations, resist the urge to “preach” your views, “prosecute” others, or “politic” for alignment. Ask, “What’s the thing I might be missing here?” Replace answers with questions.
- Invite Confusion Publicly
Say: “I’m not sure I fully understand—can you walk me through how you see it?” This opens the door to
- Rate Your Beliefs from 0–100
Next time you make a claim in a meeting, give it a confidence rating. Say, “I’m 70% sure about this.” This invites challenge and nuance. It trains your team to avoid binary thinking.
The Power of Doubt
Certainty is seductive. But it narrows your vision, isolates your leadership, and kills inclusion.
The best leaders aren’t the ones who shout the loudest. They are the ones who quietly ask the smartest questions. They leave space for what they don’t know—and for voices they don’t yet understand.
Doubt isn’t weakness. It’s the mark of a leader strong enough to make room for others.
Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121–1134.
Porter, T. et al. 2022. “Predictors and consequences of intellectual humility.” Nature 1: 525-536.
Rozenblit, L. et al. 2002. “The Misunderstood Limits of Folk Science: an Illusion of Explanatory Depth.” Cognitive Science, 26: 521-562.
Grant, A. M. 2021. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know. Viking, New York.