In this newsletter, great leadership doesn’t come from knowing everything — it comes from knowing what you don’t know. I share the moment that changed the way I led forever, and the three people every leader needs to build a stronger, more confident, more connected organization.
The Biggest Thing You Know Is What You Don’t Know
A Leadership Truth That Changes Everything
One of the most important responsibilities you have as a leader is building your leadership team and that begins with embracing a simple but transformative truth: the biggest thing you know is what you don’t know. Most leaders struggle with this. We’re conditioned to believe that leadership means having every answer, solving every problem, and carrying every burden. But that belief quietly limits your growth, your people, and your organization.
I learned this lesson early in my career during a moment I’ll never forget. I was leading a large operation, juggling more priorities than any one person should, and convincing myself that being a strong leader meant being the smartest person in every room. After one particularly exhausting meeting, a trusted colleague pulled me aside and said, “You know, you don’t have to carry all of this alone. Let us help you.” It wasn’t criticism — it was clarity. In that moment, I realized the problem wasn’t the workload. The problem was my belief that leadership required me to be all knowing.
What surprised me most was realizing that embracing what I didn’t know wasn’t a weakness at all — it was a sign of strength. It didn’t mean I wasn’t ready for the moment; it meant I understood the moment. That shift gave me a level of confidence I hadn’t felt before, because it freed me to empower the people around me. I could give them what they needed when they needed it, and in return, they gave me what I needed when I needed it. That mutual empowerment became the foundation of how I led from that point forward — not as someone trying to be everything, but as someone building something stronger than any one person could ever be alone.
That experience became the foundation for Building Your Leadership Team: The 3 People Every Leader Needs to Succeed. Great leaders don’t rise because they know everything. They rise because they surround themselves with people who complement their strengths, challenge their blind spots, and keep them connected to the pulse of their culture.
The Three Essential People Every Leader Needs to Succeed
1. Your Strategic Counterpart — The Person Who Extends Your Leadership
You can’t be in every meeting or make every decision. You need someone who understands your values, your standards, and your vision — and who cares about the success of the organization as deeply as you do. This is the person who extends your leadership when you’re not in the room. They think strategically, act with integrity, and make decisions that reflect the culture you’re building.
2. Your Shortcoming Advisor — The Expert Who Fills Your Gaps
Every leader has areas where they’re not as strong — and that’s not a flaw, it’s a fact. Whether it’s technology, finance, communication, or operations, you need trusted experts who can advise you with clarity and honesty. These individuals give you the confidence to lead without pretending to know what you don’t. They expand your perspective and strengthen your decision making.
3. Your Truth to Power Person — The Voice of Your People
No leader, no matter how present or engaged, can see everything happening across the organization. You need someone who has a pulse on your people — who knows who’s thriving, who’s struggling, and where cracks are forming beneath the surface. This person speaks candidly, without fear or filter, because they understand the culture you’re trying to build. They help you protect your top talent, address issues early, and stay connected to the human side of leadership.
Conclusion
When you surround yourself with people who complement your strengths, challenge your blind spots, and keep you grounded in the reality of your organization, you elevate not only your leadership but the performance of everyone around you. Great leaders don’t rise alone; they rise with the people they intentionally choose to empower.
And at the center of that growth is a simple, powerful truth: The biggest thing you know is what you don’t know. When you embrace that truth, you lead with more humility, more clarity, and more confidence. You listen differently. You support your people differently. You build a culture where trust grows, talent thrives, and high character leadership becomes the standard.
Leadership grows when ego shrinks and people rise.
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Let’s work together. I am a practitioner as well as an educator and motivator, and an experienced senior leader and CEO with over 45 years of boots-on-the-ground experience. I led one of the largest rebranding initiatives in franchising history – The UPS Store, revolutionizing the $9 billion retail shipping and business services market.
I believe that none of us can achieve success without some help along the way. For each of us, there is a person, a mentor, who we are grateful towards and who can help us get to where we aspire to be. Sharing stories and experiences as a speaker is a way of recognizing the value of these experiences and giving back to the next generation of leaders. It also is a way of demonstrating in words and deed the value I am placing in mentorship. As for me, I have been fortunate to have worked with and mentored by some incredibly special people, and none more incredible than Coach John Wooden.
“Rocky was the Keynote Speaker at our FragilePak Connect Conference. His presentation on Balanced Leadership was educational, informative, and delivered with great energy and enthusiasm. We especially appreciated Rocky attending the conference to learn more about who we are, what we stand for and what we are trying to accomplish as a team. He received a 4.9 score on our survey and the following comments best represent the overall comments.”
“He was the best speaker and had useful life tips”
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FragilePak
I have broad experiences to share that can help others as they grow and take on new challenges. During my time as president of UPS Supply Chain Solutions, I integrated over 20 acquisitions that became UPS Supply Chain Solutions. I steered UPS’s entry into the health care industry and created the mantra, “It’s a patient, not a package. ®” With the ability to see a clear vision of the changing business landscape, the passion to develop strategies, tactics, and metrics to drive desired results, and the passion to develop the Best, The Brightest, Most Informed, and Best People in the industries they serve.
Please give me a call today at 610-322-0720 or email at
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THE LEADERSHIP LIBRARY PODCAST SEASON 8
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Tighten The Lug Nuts, will also serve as a workbook for these important topics and discussions.
Read my latest Forbes article:
TIGHTEN THE LUG NUTS: THE PRINCIPLES OF
BALANCED LEADERSHIP
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