A great manager knows how to effectively support their employees. But as you continue to oversee more people and projects, many of your direct reports who are much more hands-on with execution may become more technically up-to-date and knowledgeable on their given domain than you. When that's the case, how do you, as the leader, continue to bring value?
As it is, 52% of managers suffer from imposter syndrome, according to Korn Ferry's Global Insights Report. And leading a team of subject matter experts (SMEs) with more knowledge or experience than you in certain areas can exacerbate those feelings, potentially diminishing your effectiveness as a leader. In fact, managers who don't feel competent are less likely to ask their team for input or suggestions, per research by Harvard Business Review, which can harm collaboration, engagement, and overall team performance.
But at the end of the day, it's important to remember that your role as a manager is really different from SMEs. Yours is to have the big-picture vision and leadership, while your experts must focus on the finer details and effective execution. This means that your strength as a manager isn't about having all the answers or being deep in the weeds on every single project -it's about knowing how to lead each of your team members and align their skills with broader company goals to maximize their potential.
So, how can you effectively bring value as a leader, even when your team members have more technical knowledge and expertise?
Check your ego
While it's understandable to, at times, feel a bit intimidated managing seasoned SMEs, one-third of failed business decisions are driven by ego, according to Wolf Management Consultants, highlighting the importance of leading with humility and open-mindedness. Try to make sure you're not competing with your team members, but rather viewing their expertise and wisdom as an advantage to achieving your goals. Whenever possible, allow them the space to voice their input, and when it makes sense, trust their judgment - especially when they can provide important perspectives from being more hands-on with the work. And remember, you don't have to try to prove yourself to your team to make them respect and appreciate you; leading with vision, openness, integrity, and kindness will do so for you.
Connect the big-picture
As mentioned earlier, SMEs are particularly focused on the specific steps they take to get their work done, which can lead to more granular thinking. That's why it's up to you to initiate the big-picture discussions that can align their day-to-day work with your organization's overall goals. 70% of employees say their sense of purpose is defined by their work, per McKinsey, and when work feels meaningful, they perform better, are much more committed, and are about half as likely to look for a new job. So help everyone understand how they're contributing to high-level strategies and how their daily impact connects to the work of their teammates. Set clear goals, deadlines, and expectations, and then leave it up to the good judgment of your SMEs to determine the necessary steps and approaches to achieve them.
Allocate the right resources
Your job as a manager includes strategically deploying your team members based on their strengths, so make sure you're actively assessing who is best suited for each project and opportunity. For example, if an employee has strong visionary skills and seems to bring the most value to creative, big-picture initiatives, try to give them space to innovate by delegating some of their day-to-day tasks to those who excel most in execution. This approach not only ensures your SMEs feel empowered in roles that align with their expertise, but it also optimizes project outcomes by leveraging the key skills each person brings to the table.
Guide prioritization
Do your best to identify the most urgent business priorities, based on the company's high-level goals, and help your team understand which initiatives should be prioritized to ensure the greatest impact. By providing this clear direction, you empower your team to work effectively without getting sidetracked or wasting time on less important demands.
In some cases, your SMEs may be receiving numerous time-sensitive requests from other departments. If not managed properly, these tasks can add significant pressure and pull your team's attention away from the goals you helped them prioritize. So, to maintain your team's focus, do your best to position yourself as the go-to for team-related requests. This way, when a new request comes in, you can identify the best stakeholder for the job and help set realistic deadlines based on priority levels. A great way to do this is by setting up a team request form that gathers essential details from requesters and enables you to maintain a smooth workflow.
Help them communicate
SMEs often have to collaborate with multiple stakeholders across departments - from more senior team members to same-level colleagues to more junior employees with less of a technical understanding. As a leader, you can play a key role in helping your SMEs develop their communication skills to ensure they're able to engage and collaborate in the most effective way. This involves providing real-time feedback when they communicate well or there are areas to improve. For example, if you notice they aren't responsive enough to their work messages or as natural at sharing criticism, do your best to give them tangible ways to improve going forward and explain why it matters.
Additionally, try to create opportunities for them to practice presenting their work in larger forums, sharing their processes, projects, and successes. This is a key part of effective communication, and it gives you the chance to provide constructive feedback on what worked well and which areas may need to be reworked for simplicity or clarity. Identifying these opportunities will help sharpen their communication skills, so they can have the biggest impact across your company.
