You Don’t Have to Know Everything...

Let the Experts Be Experts.

“Philosophers are people who know less and less about more and more, until they know nothing about everything. Scientists are people who know more and more about less and less, until they know everything about nothing.” ― Konrad Lorenz

The Problem: PMs Who Try to Know It All

Many project managers quietly believe they should be the smartest person in every meeting, capable of answering any question immediately. This belief causes stress, delays decisions, and disconnects them from the very experts they rely on. Maybe I'm the only one to say so, but I do not know everything.

The quote above from Lorenz, which I saw for the first time last week during a class presentation, captures a simple truth that's hard for us project managers to swallow sometimes... no one can know “everything about everything.” It seems hard to grasp that deep expertise is, by nature, focused, narrow, and nuanced.

Without giving away that you don't know everything, use those subject matter experts (SMEs) every chance you get. In fact, I go so far as to say you should plan on it:

• At project start, map your critical knowledge areas and explicitly name your SME(s) for each; make them visible in the charter (they'll either love you for it, or loathe you) or RACI so everyone sees who owns which slice of “knowing more and more about less and less.”
• In conversations, model the language, “That’s a question for our security SME; my role is to surface the right expertise and make the decision with them,” which reframes you from oracle to orchestrator.
• When you notice the urge to answer everything yourself, treat it as a Stoic signal of ego; pause, redirect the question to the SME, and focus on integrating perspectives, risks, and trade-offs. You may learn something from it.

Example: Using the Quote as a Check

Imagine a steering-committee meeting where an executive throws a deep technical question at you.

Instead of scrambling, you recall the quote and answer calmly, “My job isn’t to know every technical detail; it’s to ensure we have the right experts and make a sound decision together. I’d like our lead engineer to speak to that.” No, I wouldn't really say this; it would make me look like a pompous ass. I would also think I wouldn't walk into such a meeting without my SMEs. Thus, I would say, "That is a great question, sir/ma'am, [Joe], can you explain to [Mr. Executite] what we're looking to about [that]?"

Practice: A Short Reflection Ritual

• Before weekly status, write one line: “Today, my role is to coordinate wisdom, not to know it all.” Yes, you might know a lot, but very few PMs know everything about everything.
• In your notes, tag each complex topic with the SME’s name instead of your own; this trains your mind to associate “knowing” with the team, not just with you.
• After the meeting, ask: “Where did I try to be the expert instead of using my experts, and what will I do differently next time?”