Sometimes the very thing we are proudest of gets in our way: our experience.
When deep expertise and years of practice lead to unconscious incompetence, it rarely happens through carelessness — it happens through routine.
What helped in the past is no longer questioned. And precisely because “we have done it so many times before”, we fail to see how we cling to outdated patterns of thought.
🔁 Knowledge gained through experience is valuable — but not automatically valid.
I have noticed this in myself: the more “at home” I feel in a subject, the more inclined I am to dismiss new perspectives too quickly. Not out of arrogance. But out of a deeply rooted sense of security: I know how this works.
That is exactly where it becomes dangerous.
Because unconscious incompetence is a lack of attention rather than a lack of knowledge.
And it occurs particularly often among those who already know a great deal.
🔍 What helps?
– Ask for feedback (including from younger colleagues)
– Consciously question routines
– Say to yourself more often: perhaps I am not right.
👉 How do you balance experience and openness?
I look forward to your thoughts and perspectives!
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#Reflection #Experience #Leadership
