Are You Stuck Being the "Go-To" Expert?
How Women Rise
This fall I’ve been walking us through the 12 habits that hold women back (from How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith). We’ve already talked about reluctance to claim achievements and waiting to be noticed. Today, let’s talk about Habit 3: Overvaluing Expertise. Because if we focus on letting go of the habits holding us back, we will not only reach our goals this year-end, we will set ourselves up to skyrocket at the start of the new year!
Habit 3: Overvaluing Expertise
On the surface, being an expert sounds like the goal. But here’s the catch:
When you cling too tightly to being the expert, you end up doing more in the trenches work instead of moving toward leadership. You say “yes” to tasks because you know you’ll do them well, even if they aren’t really where your growth is.
I’ve lived this one.
Back in my corporate accounting days, I was known as the person who could fix complex reconciliations and explain them in detail. It felt good to be that “go-to.”
But while I was busy perfecting reports, I was missing opportunities to build strategic relationships and have a bigger voice at the table. My expertise gave me confidence, but it also kept me stuck.
I was lucky to have a few amazing leaders and mentors who brought me to meetings, asked me to speak up, and encouraged me to let others contribute to the work and raise their own expertise so I didn't have to do it all.
I've seen the same habit of overvaluing expertise with some of my coaching clients:
A director who is brilliant at data analysis but struggles to step back and trust her team.
A manager who rewrites every deck because “it needs to be perfect.”
A VP who feels she must know every detail before speaking up in a cross-functional meeting.
Each one was unintentionally limiting their growth by overvaluing expertise. When they sat behind closed doors "learning", their teams and leaders felt they were disconnected and even started losing trust in them.
Expertise gets you in the door, but leadership is about influence, vision, and relationships. Letting go of the need to be the expert in every room is what creates space for you to lead.
I'm just returning from the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) Annual Conference. It was three days of inspiring speakers and healthcare professionals sharing how to make an impact and rise in their careers.
Every single one of them emphasized the importance of mentors, sponsors, relationships, and being able to see the bigger picture. Yes, knowing your stuff matters, especially in the beginning of your career. But as you rise, your relationships are more important than your expertise. What got you here won't get you there.
Think about this in your life:
Where are you still holding on to expertise as a safety net?
What could open up if you trusted others, delegated, or spoke up even when you didn’t have all the answers?
Remember: You were chosen for your potential, not just your current skill set. Don’t let “being the expert” hold you back from being the leader you’re ready to be.
Cheers to right-sizing your expertise,
Sharon
PS - Here are the 12 Habits we are walking through (from How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith) - Links to previous newsletters:
1 - Reluctance to Claim Your Achievements
2 - Expecting Others to Spontaneously Notice and Reward Your Contributions
3 - Overvaluing Expertise
4 - Building Rather than Leveraging Relationships
5 - Failing to Enlist Allies from Day One
6 - Putting Your Job Before Your Career
7 - The Perfection Trap
8 - The Disease to Please
9 - Minimizing
10 - Too Much
11 - Ruminating
12 - Letting Your Radar Distract You
Find Your Sweet Spot and Thrive
ONE WEEK AWAY!! On Friday, October 10, I’m hosting a free 60-minute workshop: “Between Hustle & Harmony: Finding Your Sweet Spot.” It’s a gentle reset before the end-of-year chaos kicks in so you can continue to rise AND enjoy this life you are working so hard for!
We’ll walk through:
What it means to move beyond the buzzword of boundaries
How to identify your real non-negotiables
Why your ambition and your well-being don’t have to compete
How to create space that actually supports your success (instead of adding another thing to your to-do list)
We’ll make time for you to think through it all and capture it in the included workbook.
🎯 If you’ve been craving clarity…
💡 If you’re tired of swinging between burnout and avoidance…
📅 If 10/10 feels like a good day to reclaim a little bit of you...
Click HERE to grab your (free) seat.
Life is too short to stay stressed and stuck. Don't let another season slip by. I've helped so many people reclaim their life. I can help you too.
