027: “What If Great Leadership Starts with Being Wrong First?” (lessons from Ian Beaty)
In this recap, Erik distills the key leadership insights from his conversation with Dr. Ian Beaty, highlighting the gap between technical skill and leadership ability. He reflects on the all-too-common failure point: we promote people because they’re good at something, not because they’ve been trained to lead. Erik explores how this creates a cycle of unprepared leaders who are under-equipped and over-pressured—and why humility and rebellion are often the antidote.
🎯 Top Insights from the Interview
- Success ≠ Leadership Readiness: Being great at a skill doesn’t automatically translate into being great at leading others who do that skill.
- Training Is the Missing Piece: The military models this well—every promotion requires training. In contrast, most companies offer none.
- Rebellion Is a Leadership Virtue: Being a good leader often means being willing to challenge the system, not just follow it.
- Pressure Creates Ego: Newly promoted leaders often feel the need to have all the answers. This squashes collaboration and curiosity.
- Humility Fuels Growth: Ian’s unique journey—from enlisted mechanic to doctorate-holder—underscores how humility is the bridge between mistakes and mastery.
🧩 The Personal Layer
Erik relates deeply to the challenge of being promoted without preparation. He reflects on how easy it is to assume a title grants wisdom, and how hard it is to ask for help without feeling like a fraud. The conversation brought him back to key moments in his own leadership where he struggled with ego, pressure, and the desire to appear competent. That rawness created a resonance with Ian’s story—and a deeper respect for the discipline of leadership.
🧰 From Insight to Action
- Audit Your Promotions: Look at who you’ve elevated recently—did you train them to lead, or just hope they’d figure it out?
- Normalize Reps, Not Just Results: Like the military or pro sports, leadership should involve practice and feedback, not just real-time performance.
- Celebrate the Rebels: Identify the respectful disruptors on your team and find ways to empower, not suppress, their insights.
- Build Humility Habits: Create spaces for leaders to say “I don’t know” without losing credibility.
- Design Your Own Development Path: Don’t wait for your organization—seek the reps, feedback, and frameworks you need.
🗣️ Notable Quotes
“Everybody has a story about a bad boss—and most people have more than one.”
“You wake up the day after a promotion and think you’re supposed to have all the answers.”
“Rebellion isn’t just tolerated in good leadership—it’s required.”
“If you’re not disrupting something, you probably aren’t leading anything.”
“Leadership starts when you're willing to grow through the pain you helped cause.”
🔗 Links & Resources
- Visit Dr. Ian’s Website www.ianbeaty.com
- Connect with Dr. Ian on LinkedIn
