As I wrote about here, "I don't know" is a powerful phrase to improve your leadership. For someone who hasn't developed the habit, the most important way to get comfortable saying "I don't know" is to practice.

Here's how:

Say it to yourself
Your hesitation is probably based on social fear. You don't want to look indecisive at work. You consider it a weakness to do so in front of friends or family expects you to be the decider and you don't want to let them down. So, at every opportunity you have in your internal monologue, say "I don't know."

For example, when reading the news and you're about to have an opinion, practice this:
Will the Fed raise interest rates next quarter? I don't know.
Is Mr. Beast a good guy or bad? I don't know.
Is the dress gold and white or black and blue? I don't know.

No stakes

Maybe you're just not ready to walk through the world with the blissful deliberate ignorance of a bodhi. Like any skills Start with no stakes. A waiter asks what you want for an entree, say "I don't know." Follow it up with "What do you recommend? I'll have that." Your buddy asks if the Cubs will win the pennant? "I don't know. What do you think?"

Small knowings (aka delay)

Sometimes you're in a position where you can't shake the feeling "I don't know" is situationally inappropriate. You're leading a team designing the new fashion strategy and in a meeting and one of your reports asks, "Should we choose the Goose or the Duck image for the fall fowl T shirt?" You're still working on the skill, and not ready to say "I don't know" in front of a group. Instead, take a small step in a direction, gather information from that, and re-evaluate. Your answer could be "Let's draft a version of each and then I'll take a look."

These are three ways to get you in the habit of saying "I don't know" a phrase that opens up opportunities as a leader in business, in the home, and in life.