It is so frustrating for me to see people who can choose to help others thrive settle for mediocrity. Think about it. Experts in any field rarely lead today. Following is the new model in every profession. Fit in, and feel fine. What am I supposed to say? Let me write this down so I will not forget who to listen to. What do you mean you are not sure? I thought you were the expert?
We all expect our experts, in any profession, to be the leaders. I mean, picture your CEO as a flip-flop wearing druggy in front of the board of directors pitching the new acquisition. Really makes you think they will listen or follow. What about the CEO in a tux that can barely put sentences together or speaks in a language no one else understands? Image is a good start, but content and expertise is the best ending. Help me, help us, not be mediocre, oh wise one.
If you are like me, then you are looking for experts that believe what they say is actually true. It is founded on facts. You know, the truth? I believe more than ever before our experts are not sure of anything. Training gone! Common sense gone! From my view it is like the least expert in the room is the one we are all listening to. It’s like the airplane needs a pilot and the request is relayed that we need the expert in plane crash evaluation immediately.
Recently I have been around many highly educated people. I mean those that most would classify as the expert in their profession and the line is one after another. I was so interested to learn from them. I was thinking this will be great to see experts making things better. Greatness to witness. Sadly, not so. I told a colleague it was like watching the most brilliant people in the room being okay with surviving instead of thriving. Wanting to exist instead of lead. What a shame.
All of us are really feeling this frustration from what I hear. The experts are now ashamed to be great. An expert (more flip-flop and wrong languate than tux wearer) actually told another colleague that they had not earned time being coached to be better. Time is valuable and you must earn this expert’s time. Kind of like the Titanic sinking and you left your bags in your room. What a waste of my time that you came unprepared for the life boat. You best drown peasant.
My whole reason for sharing this is to raise up our games to be better. If you are an expert in your profession, then lead like one. Lose your ego or need to bring others down. We all need experts to be their best so we can all thrive. If you get to be an expert in your profession, if you are not already, then please do not shoot to be mediocre. Thrive. Bringing the bar down only deflates the rest of us shooting to be an expert.