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May 24, 2005

Leading Ideas: Take Advantage of Others

"Every man I meet is in some way my superior." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American author, minister, & activist

Something to consider:

Everyone knows something that you don't. Take advantage of that and allow them to teach you. By seeking the knowledge and wisdom of others 2 powerful things happen. (1) - you acknowledge them (a basic human desire). And (2) - you learn a lot in the process. Everybody wins.

The process doesn't have to be a lengthy one. A colleague of mine makes a habit out of asking nearly everyone he meets for quick tips. He describes a challenge he's having and then asks for 2 pieces of advice for how he can overcome it. "Much of what I hear is crap," he admits, "but it's worth listening to because some of the stuff is brilliant."

Something to try:

1. Go through your contacts and jot down a few people you'd like to learn from.
2. Invite them to lunch.
3. Let them know you'd like to take advantage of them (bet they don't hear that every day).
4. Ask them provocative questions to get them to tell you their story.
5. Try to leave with one or more ideas you can put into action.

Question: How do you take advantage of others?

Posted by Doug Sundheim at May 24, 2005 7:10 AM | Category: leadership | 4 Comments

4 COMMENTS

Posted by: Andy Chang at May 24, 2005 10:07 AM

This is what Confucius (Kongzi, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongzi) has said 2500+ years ago:

Two heads are always better then one.
三人行必有吾师

Posted by: Andy Chang at May 24, 2005 10:07 AM

This is what Confucius (Kongzi, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongzi) has said 2500+ years ago:

Two heads are always better then one.
三人行必有吾师焉

Posted by: Web Designer Ramblings at May 24, 2005 11:35 AM

Wow, old fashioned humility is now a modern-age business tool!

Truthfully, a humble man always knows that others are superior to him in some way, acknowledges that, and is always willing to learn.

To be honest my business-minded comrades, the Bible taught it first! Wisdom never goes out of fashion.

Posted by: jim wilde at May 25, 2005 8:03 AM

Wonderful idea. We have found a simple method - Ideascape - to connect employees from different companies for the purpose of learning new ideas. The results are amazing.