A “factory manager” at a local factory called-in an “outside emergency maintenance guy” because one of his machines had “broken.” The maintenance guy arrived at the factory shortly after receiving the call. The “factory manager” then explained the problem he was experiencing to the “maintenance guy.” The maintenance guy responded, “I know exactly what the problem is,” then he quickly replaced a screw in the machine, and the machine began to work like new.
The maintenance guy then said, “That’ll be $300.00!” The factory manager responded, “$300! You just replaced one screw; that screw cost $1.00; I could have easily done that!”
The maintenance guy responded, “Yes, the screw did cost $1.00, but the knowledge of how to fix your machine cost $299, …and by the way, I only accept cash.”
What’s the point? When you don’t know, you will pay the higher price!
This is why it’s critical to remain a student of life. I’m always looking to learn and expand my mind, I’m always looking for leaders who’ve done what I’m trying to do, so that I can learn what they know.
Leaders are people with the knowledge you need, because they’ve been where you’re trying to go. Hear me out, leaders aren’t necessarily “special,” they don’t “glow in the dark,” or wear a “halo,” leaders are just people who’ve experienced what you’re trying to experience. They’re people who are a little further along the path that you’re traveling, and they have the knowledge to make your trip easier.
You follow leaders because they have knowledge. There’s no need to worship them, or sing praises to their name. You follow leaders because: “When you don’t know what they know, you will pay a higher price!”
Hang-out with Leaders
It’s good to hang around leaders; sit down with them, soak up everything they know. What’s a “Level 10” problem for you maybe a “Level 2” problem for them. Pick their brains (no pun intended), but don’t be caught “paying the higher price.”
You can access the minds of leaders by reading their web sites, reading their books, or having conversations with them. Pursue leaders in your life; pursue mentors who are going where you want to go. But before you can do this, you first you must recognize who those leaders are. If you don’t recognize the leaders in your life, you’re like a kid who doesn’t recognize the father who has gone before him, and therefore doesn’t pursue the wisdom of the father.
This Reminds Me of a Story
I’ve mentioned before that I went to LSU, and my sister-in-law, who’s 19 currently goes to LSU.
About a year ago my wife and I visited her sister at school:
While my wife and her sister were busy having fun and talking in the dorm room, I told them that I would go and visit the “Student Union.” My wife’s sister, who was 18 at the time, responded saying, “Do you know how to get there?”
I said “Yes,” but I was thinking, “…[chuckle, chuckle] excuse me, you’ve been here for 3 months, I have a degree from this university, I know exactly where I’m going…heck, I know a short-cut.”
What’s the point of my story? The point is that you should recognize the people in your life who’ve been where you’re trying to go; lean on them for wisdom, …don’t offer them unsolicited advice. What’s difficult to you, is not difficult to someone else, find out what they know.
Some people say, what you don’t know won’t hurt you, but the reality is, what you don’t know may be killing you; killing your potential, killing your drive, killing your focus and aborting your purpose.
When you don’t know: the quickest route, or the right contacts, or the right book, you will pay the higher price. That price may be in dollars, in time, or in frustration, but there is a price tag for “not knowing.” You don’t get to be ignorant for free. So pursue knowledge, follow leaders who are going where you’re going, and the journey will be quicker and smoother.
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I love the message of this blog post.
Even more than being a student of the world, I think it’s important to be a student of yourself. Why do you think the way you do? Why do you do what you do? And just like in your post, if you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may have to pay a pretty steep price. I know… I have the receipts to prove it!
Thanks again.
This article had me pondering for awhile. It seemed so arbitrary, so insignificant, to me. What should we do then? Endlessly seek to acquire knowledge?
No.
It finally dawned on me: learn from other people all the time. If you don’t think you can learn from people at any given moment, you’re not looking hard enough. You can learn from their successes and from the failures, and that gives you the knowledge how to repeat the former and avoid the latter.
And, above all, if you don’t know something, ask someone. Their answer probably won’t cost you a penny.
However: don’t always look to follow others. Learn to lead and have conviction in yourself at all times. But that also means that you need to ask when you have the conviction that you don’t know.
Hope that makes sense. Excellent post.
Very well said Brett….
Another great post Mr. SD….thanks for this!
Hey Mr. Self Development, thanks for writing this. I really enjoyed that story in the beginning. It was really funny!
You also gave a story about how your wife’s sister asked you something you already knew (like it was common sense).
The more one knows in life, the better off that they will be, however, I only agree with this if they actually turn their knowledge and put it into action.
Some people enjoy consuming as much knowledge as possible. Even if the maintenance guy in the beginning of the story had the knowledge of the screw, but did not put it in, nothing would have had happened.
I think knowledge is useless if we don’t put it to use.
Thanks for the comment Tristan…
Excellent point about how your 10 is a leaders 2 – Thinking about this will really help you to not take your problems so seriously. Another that leaders can do is to PAY for information – just think about that example of Ford in think and grow rich
“…listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.”—Desiderata. Don’t underestimate others just because they don’t look the part of someone whom you may need to learn from.
Great post about knowing where and (from whom) to get infos where you can get it.
http://www.innerzine.com
Cheers,
Amy
Serious question; why is it that everyone agrees that education is the most important thing in life, but it is also one of the first things that get funding cuts when there is a downturn in the economy? I would think the last or most important things would have reduced funding like teachers, police, and fire and rescue.
That is how i live my life. Constantly learning in every area that i can. I’m a open minded type of person who enjoys learning new things.