Want people to follow you? Be clear about where you’re going and honest about what you don’t know.

People will follow uncertainty far more willingly than they will follow bluffing. What works is a clear direction paired with an honest edge to your knowledge, because then everybody can see both the plan and where their help is needed. Pretending to know everything forces people to guess which parts were invented. Clarity about the aim and candour about the gaps is a surprisingly rare combination.

Next time you organise anything, say two sentences out loud: here is where we are going, and here is what I have not worked out. Then ask who knows more about the second part.