"Brad doesn't know the difference between an enterprise server and a fridge."

These words from Araqana’s company founder—introducing me as the new president to a room full of technical experts—still make me laugh years later. He wasn't wrong! Coming from commercial real estate to lead a tech systems integrator, I faced a classic leadership challenge: how to effectively lead subject matter experts in fields where I had no personal expertise.

If you've been put in charge of data scientists, AI specialists, or technical professionals whose work seems like magic, you're not alone. Modern leadership increasingly requires orchestrating expertise you don't personally possess. Here's what I've learned about thriving in this situation.

Curiosity Trumps Expertise

When you lack technical knowledge, questions become your superpower. Leading with genuine curiosity rather than pretending to have answers creates space for real solutions to emerge.

The tech company didn't need another technology visionary—it needed strategy, structure, and operational effectiveness. That was the expertise I brought. The technical talent was already there; what was missing was someone who could ask the right questions about how technical decisions impact business goals, what resources would help teams be more effective, and what obstacles were getting in their way.

I discovered that technical experts genuinely respect leaders who ask thoughtful questions about their work. Your curiosity signals respect for their knowledge while helping you gain crucial understanding. During my early days at the technology company, I spent hours sitting with developers and engineers, asking them to explain their projects in simple terms. This not only helped me learn but also showed them I valued their expertise enough to invest time understanding it.

Build a Team That Makes Your Knowledge Gaps Irrelevant

Your primary job isn't knowing everything—it's assembling and empowering people who collectively know what's needed. Focus on creating conditions where specialized knowledge can flourish.

When leading projects for the Toronto Board of Trade, I regularly tackled issues far outside my expertise. For an initiative on access to capital for early-stage companies, I didn't pretend to be a financial expert. Instead, I leveraged the Board's connections to assemble experts representing various segments of the capital sector. The resulting recommendations were more comprehensive and credible precisely because they emerged from collective expertise rather than individual knowledge.

The key was creating psychological safety where these specialists could freely share knowledge and challenge assumptions without fear. My role wasn't to compete with their expertise but to create a structure where it could be effectively applied. During meetings, I made a point of acknowledging when I didn't understand something and asked for explanations, which created an environment where others felt comfortable doing the same.

Master the Art of Facilitation

Through roles across seven different industries, I've learned that answers to most challenges already exist within the organization—in its people, suppliers, or customers. Your job is to extract and coordinate that knowledge.

Great facilitators ask thought-provoking questions that open new perspectives. They manage group dynamics to ensure all voices are heard while preventing dominant personalities from overwhelming discussions. They excel at summarizing complex discussions into actionable points. They guide conversation toward decisions without imposing their own preferences. These skills become especially valuable when leading specialists who might struggle to communicate across technical boundaries.

In one particularly challenging situation, we needed to decide between two competing technical approaches. Rather than making an uninformed choice, I facilitated a structured debate between the technical experts, asking them to articulate not just their preferred approach but also the merits of the alternative. This process revealed nuances neither side had previously considered and led to a hybrid solution superior to either original proposal.

Double Down on Core Leadership Functions

While technical knowledge matters, leadership fundamentals matter more. Your ability to set clear vision, secure resources, remove obstacles, and manage performance converts technical brilliance into business impact.

At TELUS, when tasked with merging two acquired companies into one unified group, I faced a situation without any template. The solution wasn't imposing a predetermined structure but facilitating dialogue between TELUS’ leadership and the acquisition companies to determine the optimal path forward. This process required strong leadership fundamentals—creating space for all voices, establishing clear decision criteria, and building consensus around a shared vision—rather than dictating technical integration details.

Pay special attention to cross-functional collaboration. Technical experts often struggle to communicate across specialties or with business stakeholders. Your translation skills bridge these gaps and create the alignment necessary for complex initiatives. I frequently found myself translating between technical teams and executive leadership, helping each understand the other's priorities and constraints. This translation function sometimes proved more valuable than any technical contribution I could have made.

Develop Just Enough Understanding to Be Dangerous

You don't need deep expertise, but you need sufficient knowledge to engage meaningfully. Invest time learning the basics through industry publications, conferences, and regular discussions with your team.

Aim to understand enough to ask intelligent questions about technical decisions that connect to business outcomes. Work to grasp key performance metrics that matter in the technical domain. Learn how to connect technical work to business objectives in ways that motivate both technical and business teams. Develop the ability to identify when something doesn't add up without needing to understand all the technical details. This baseline knowledge helps you separate legitimate technical concerns from excuses or overengineering without needing to become an expert yourself.

I made it a practice to have lunch with different technical experts weekly, asking them to explain current projects and challenges. These informal discussions taught me more than any formal training could have and built relationships that proved invaluable when difficult decisions needed to be made.

The Non-Expert Advantage

Sometimes not being the expert gives you an edge. You can ask questions others consider too basic or that challenge industry norms. You bring fresh thinking unconstrained by "how things are always done." You can make connections between disciplines that specialists might miss.

I've found that my naïve questions sometimes led to breakthrough solutions precisely because I wasn't limited by conventional thinking in the field. Your outside perspective can be valuable when combined with respect for specialized knowledge. In one instance, my question about why we couldn't use an approach from a different industry led to an innovative solution that technical experts hadn't considered simply because it came from outside their normal frame of reference.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Never pretend to know more than you do—experts spot this instantly and lose respect immediately. Avoid micromanaging technical decisions out of insecurity, but don't completely disengage either. The balance between engaged leadership and trusted delegation takes practice. Your goal is informed oversight, not technical direction.

I learned this lesson early when I attempted to suggest a technical solution based on something I'd read. The team's polite but dismissive response made it clear I had overstepped. From that point forward, I focused on asking about options rather than suggesting solutions, which proved far more effective. The most successful approach was asking experts to explain their reasoning rather than challenging their conclusions directly.

The Path Forward

The most valuable leaders don't necessarily have the most technical knowledge—they excel at bringing together diverse expertise and directing it toward meaningful outcomes. By focusing on creating the right environment, asking good questions, and providing clear direction, you can effectively lead teams with expertise far beyond your own.

Remember my "server vs. fridge" moment?  You don't need to be the expert. You just need to know how to lead them. The technical founders provided the specialized knowledge while I created the business structure and strategy that allowed their innovations to reach the market effectively. This combination proved more powerful than either element alone could have been.

Want to continue the discussion?

If you are interested in discussing leadership approaches for specialized teams further, let's connect at bradhenderson@me.com

#LeadershipDevelopment #TeamManagement #ExecutiveSuccess #TechnicalLeadership #ConsistencyEdge