Over fifteen years ago I read a book called “The E Myth” by Michael Gerber. What I came to understand was that I have some great technical skills. And… those technical skills didn’t make me a good entrepreneur which was a pretty big surprise. I didn’t understand the way business ran at a larger scale. I had basic skills about P & L’s, accounting, budgeting, etc etc. For a while I thought that I was a great business person simply because I was good at a particular skill. You’re probably way ahead of me in knowing that way of thinking was a complete farce.
I learned, grew, and figured out how to do more of the 137 different tasks required to run an entire business and it helped. Relying on the knowledge I possessed in one of those areas was a stumbling block and also didn’t allow me to be humble which is required to learn.
And about ten years ago I read a book called “The Next Level” by Scott Eblin. Again I learned that there are many many stratus to the ladders in business. And if a person retains their attachment to the technical abilities that get them into management they tend to micromanage and tell their subordinates how to do the technical tasks that they’re good at rather than manage them. The job is no longer about the technical skill it’s about managing which is much different and in many ways completely opposite of what we oftentimes think we’re supposed to be doing.
Here’s the point… we all develop what we use as our “winning combination”. That perfect set of ethics, drive, beliefs, and other messaging that will help us get what we want. For example, “outwork everyone” is a pretty good idea in our late teens, twenties, and maybe into our thirties but when we have kids or other priorities that begin to compete for time and energy, working harder and more hours than everyone else, which got you ahead, now causes you to miss out on your kids events. Most of the time our “winning combination” is also a direct mirror reflection to cover up our shame, shortcomings, and other deficiencies. How can we heal our shame if we’re committed to routinely using tons of energy to combat it? And how can we see what skills are actually needed to excel in life’s current challenges if we just keep leaning on the thing we know?
If you haven’t already figured out what I’m yacking about it’s that we need our “winning combination” to evolve or it will quit helping us win. It will actually cause us to lose. In order to do that we have to inquire at times to examine how we’re using the same old ideas to solve new problems in work, health, relationships, and spiritual matters. The more I see of what I don’t know, the more I can seek to learn about business, my intimate partner, god, etc etc.
I think that Einstein displayed how smart he was when he said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.”
The opportunity:
When was the last time you sat quietly and looked at your spouse wondering about all the things you don’t know about them?
What could you possibly not know about the greater powers in the universe?
Where are you falling short in your executive functions?
Thanks for your time, have a great day!