The Expertise Bias Trap

Why Great Coaches and Leaders Must Learn to Translate.

I was working with a younger high school athlete recently and mentioned something about her personal brand. I was about to move on and explain why it’s important, but she stopped me and asked:

“What’s a brand?”

I paused. Not because I didn’t know the answer. Not because I was frustrated that she didn’t know. But because I realized I hadn’t explained it. I had assumed she already knew.

After all, brand is a word we hear constantly — in NIL conversations, on social media, in marketing. But that doesn’t mean it’s understood.

Enter expertise bias.

Expertise bias is what happens when we forget what it’s like not to know. We spend so much time in our field (whether that’s sports, leadership, business, or even just life experience) that we start speaking a language others haven’t learned yet. We assume understanding. We unintentionally leave people behind. Or worse, we get frustrated when they don’t grasp concepts that are built on layers we’ve long internalized.

The idea is closely related to a psychological concept called the curse of knowledge, first introduced by researchers in the late 1980s. It describes how, once we know something well, it becomes hard to imagine not knowing it and even harder to explain it clearly to someone who’s just starting out.

In the NIL world, I talk about brand identity, deliverables, audience alignment, and activation strategies. But for a high school athlete just starting to explore this space, even the word brand can feel abstract.

So I slowed down.

I told her:

“Your brand is the story people tell about you when you’re not in the room. It’s how you show up, online, on the court, and in conversations. It’s your reputation, your values, your voice.”

She nodded. We were back on the same page.

Expertise Bias in Business

This moment reminded me how often this happens in the business world, too.

Leaders roll out new initiatives and assume their teams understand the “why.” Managers talk about KPIs and strategic alignment without connecting the dots to someone’s day-to-day role. Hiring managers expect candidates to “sell themselves” without realizing the candidate doesn’t have the same context or insider knowledge.

Expertise bias is a constant coaching challenge — but it’s also a leadership blind spot.

The more experienced we become, the harder it is to remember what it felt like to be new, uncertain, or unaware. And yet, the ability to translate our expertise into accessible, actionable language is one of the most powerful leadership skills we can develop.

What Happens When We’re Challenged

The challenge is that we often don’t realize we’re doing it — until someone has the courage to ask a simple question like:

“Wait, what is a brand?”

Then we have a choice.

Do we stop and explain in a way that still feels too high-level?

Do we roll our eyes or get frustrated because we’re not being understood?

Do we dismiss it and expect the person to figure it out on their own?

Do we respond in a condescending tone, as if it were a “dumb” question?

Or, do we take a breath?

Do we recognize that we’ve skipped some steps?

Do we pause long enough to ask ourselves, “What does this person need to understand right now?”

Do we meet them where they are — not where we wish they were?

Strong leaders and coaches do this. They don’t just teach; they translate. They don’t just communicate; they connect. They understand that expertise bias isn’t a flaw. It’s a natural byproduct of experience. But they also know it’s their responsibility to bridge the gap.

They work hard to teach complex concepts in a variety of ways, at a variety of levels. They know that clarity isn’t just kind, it’s strategic.

A Question Worth Asking

One of the most powerful questions we can ask before coaching a concept, launching a new initiative, or onboarding a new employee is:

“What am I assuming they already know?”

It’s deceptively simple — but it can change everything.

That question invites us to slow down, to step outside our own expertise, and to consider the experience of the person in front of us. It reminds us that clarity isn’t just about simplifying, it’s about empathy. It’s about making space for learning, not just delivering information.

And when we’re caught in the moment, when someone asks a question that exposes our blind spot, we don’t need to panic, puff up, or defend our expertise.

We can pause.We can take a breath.

We can recognize that we may have skipped a few steps.

Then we slow down.

We meet our audience where they are.

We build the bridge, not expect them to leap across the gap.

This is the work of strong leaders and coaches.Not just knowing, but knowing how to teach.

Not just communicating but connecting.

And it starts with one question:“What am I assuming they already know?”

When we ask it, we lead better.

When we answer it with empathy, we coach better.

And when we act on it, we build trust, one conversation at a time.

So the next time someone asks a question that seems “too basic,” pause.That moment might be the most important one in your entire day.

Because the best leaders don’t just know, they help others know, too.