17 years ago, I was organizing and delivering dental sleep medicine and TMD CE courses for dentists. A significant amount of my time was spent preparing for these events. That meant reading reams of research papers to understand what the literature had to say about new insights into anatomy and the pathophysiology of apneics’ airways, burgeoning developments in medical billing for treatment, and considering how to convey these complex concepts in simple terms for course attendees.
Fast forward a couple years, and my role in the organization had changed significantly. I was leading a business unit responsible for the sales, support, marketing, and manufacturing of several hundred splints and oral appliances every day. Somehow that led me to sitting in a restaurant in Allentown, PA with my mentor (we’ll call him “Zenius”) after spending the day observing the inner-workings of Barry Glassman‘s practice. We downloaded about our key takeaways from the day. Zenius and I often discussed books, and he asked what I’d been reading. I rattled off some textbooks on orthodontia theory. In between bites of dry mashed potatoes, Zenius asked how that information applied to my new role. “How do those books aid you in leading cross-functional teams to improve manufacturing capacities? How do they help you increase the ROI on marketing efforts, develop new products, or build buy-in from the executive board for new projects?”
Seek multiple mentors. Have an open mind.
My role had changed, and my inputs needed to change, too. I felt so stupid for not recognizing the obvious. This is just one of the values of mentorship and exemplars in your life. These are people that hold you accountable, that help you pinpoint blind spots, and serve as living examples for the life you want to live. In Alcoholics Anonymous SA they’re referred to as Sponsors and newcomers are encouraged to identify a Sponsor that carries themselves as in a way that inspires them, someone that is living the life they aspire to live.
But you needn’t be in recovery to benefit from mentorship. Nor does your sponsor/mentor/guide even need to be alive. Read books on subjects that are relevant to areas in which you aim to improve. Want to improve your sales skills? Read To Sell Is Human by Daniel Pink or check out the top 3 books on the subject. Aim to cultivate your writing skills? Read books about writing such as On Writing by Steven King or study good writers. Join a writing club. Share your work with them and solicit feedback. Seek out your favorite local author and ask how you can serve them.
Seek multiple mentors. It’s unreasonable to expect that one person possesses all the knowledge, wisdom, and experience to give you tutelage on becoming a better salesperson, author, runner, and chef. Find people with expertise and believability in the specific areas in which you aim to improve. Ask questions. Wrestle with the ideas. Have an open mind.
IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT.
Remember though, not all inputs are created equal. Let’s say you want to learn more about managing profit and loss in your business. Zillions of books exist on the topic, but suppose you want to glean more insights via firsthand accounts. Insights from your bankrupt Uncle Danny whose plumbing business took a dump will probably teach you a bit about what not to do. You likely don’t want to lend too much credence to his suggestions about what you should do though. Instead, you might want to synthesize the sh*tty advice provided by ol’ Uncle Danny with the tried and true success of Charlie Munger or Warren Buffett.
Jim Rohn reminds us, “It’s important to learn from your mistakes, but it is better to learn from other people’s mistakes, and it is best to learn from other people’s successes. It accelerates your own success.” You needn’t invent or reinvent the wheel. There are people that have been exactly where you are. They’ve felt the pain and learned the lessons to get where you want to be. Mentors are willing to share those experiences and lessons with you. It’s a fast track to reaching your goals.
There’s one caveat though. You still have to do the work. That’s the missing link that separates the aspirational from the accomplished. Need to improve your presentation skills? Read books on the topic, watch TED Talks, join Toastmasters International, and then speak in public. Perhaps you’re the fastest of your recreational running friends and you want to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Read about how to improve your pace. Join a running club consisting of faster, more experienced runners. Get a coach. But you still have to execute the training plan. Herbert Spencer schooled us 200 years ago when he wrote, “The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action.”
All of these books, the insights from mentors, the courses and coaching fees…they’re all just supplements. There is no substitute for doing the work. It works if you work it. And you owe that to yourself, to those that poured into you, and those that will come after you. Each one, teach one.
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