Knowledge, Wisdom, and the Lessons of Experience

My younger son Dalton, has just completed Navy Nuclear Power Training. In February 2020, he went to Boot Camp and it was unlike any other Navy training, once COVID-19 entered our lives (he’s going to stay there, as his new orders are to the school, as an instructor in his specialty).

His training was among people who were younger by six years (or more). Why was that the case? Dalton had completed college and had worked in a management role for about three years before going into the Navy. His training peers were mostly high school graduates with perhaps a few years of college.

They were learning and applying incredible amounts of information, which was required for them to work on the nuclear power plants of submarines and aircraft carriers.

Although Dalton absorbed the comprehensive information quite well, what really stood out (compared to the other members of his class) was his WISDOM.

Dalton’s experience showed up, providing advice, and demonstrating leadership on a regular basis — most of the time he wasn’t formally asked (and as many of you know, I too was in the Navy and do a bit of experience sharing with him whenever we’re able!).

We can acquire knowledge, but wisdom is a product of the experience of life and business. Much of the wisdom we gain comes from our own experience. But we can also tap into the wisdom of others.

As human beings, our ability to remember, consciously think, and effectively communicate gives us a massive advantage compared to every other creature.

Sometimes we want to go it alone, and other times we want to use the help of others. We can grow from doing both. The more systematically we can employ others to learn, and more importantly, to share the wisdom that comes with experience, the faster we can accelerate the growth of ourselves, our teams, and our companies.

· How often do you set aside time to consolidate the Lessons of Your Experience for yourself?

· How often do you reinforce those experiences by sharing them with others?

· How often do you accelerate your own growth by talking with others about the Lessons of Their Experience?

If you aren’t doing any of these things, how much potential growth are you missing out on?