When Expertise Gets in the Way
Sometimes, deep knowledge can cloud perspective. We think expertise keeps us safe — that the person who “knows” will steer us through complexity. But in the boardroom, expertise can quietly distort what’s meant to be a collective act of governance.
Every board has them: the finance guru, the tech whiz, the M&A lawyer, the former regulator. Their depth of experience is why they’re there. Yet that same expertise can narrow the frame. When you’ve spent decades mastering a field, it’s easy to default to what you already know. Curiosity gives way to confirmation.
Wise experts know how to navigate these risks — and avoid three traps I’ve seen quietly undermine board success.
1. The Expert Effect
There’s a social side to expertise. Once an expert speaks, others tend to step back. Why question the person who knows best? The unintended result: blind spots grow, and the richness of diverse thinking flattens out. When directors assume “the expert has it covered,” oversight becomes observation — not inquiry.
2. The Deference Dilemma
Boards often over-index on credentials. We listen more closely to the director with the PhD, the big title, or the sector pedigree. It feels efficient, even respectful. But it can breed a quiet hierarchy that erodes independence. The wisest boards ensure every voice carries equal weight — the seasoned CEO, the first-time director, and everyone in between.
3. The Comfort Zone Loop
Experts tend to gravitate toward their lane. They’ll read those sections of the board package first, ask smart questions in their domain, and stay silent elsewhere. It’s understandable and risky. When everyone sticks to their swim lane, systemic issues go unnoticed. Strategy, risk, and culture don’t live in silos; neither should directors.
True governance requires what Zen Buddhists call beginner’s mind — the ability to approach each discussion as if seeing it for the first time. That’s not easy when you’ve built a career on mastery. But it’s precisely the discipline boards need most: to stay adaptive, to ask naïve questions without embarrassment, and to see the forest while others are counting trees.
So next time you’re the “expert in the room,” pause before you speak. Ask one more open question. Invite the perspectives of those outside your field.
Expertise has its place, but wisdom often lives just beyond it.