“You might as well teach a course in branding, considering you plan to be an expert in the area,” was the tongue in cheek advice from my friend Judi. She and I have consulted for over a decade in the branding field, and are currently working on a book on brand health. Getting ready to teach a graduate class, and burying myself in brand research, is a whole new ball game. I never seem to stop learning. Sometimes by choice. Sometimes by default.
So, what makes an expert? Certainly not an advanced degree – I know that from experience. I think expertise comes from total immersion in a field, and passion for what one does. A bit of ‘hit and miss’ is always part of the equation. Expertise is nurtured in the willingness to listen to other people’s point of view, to make mistakes and learn from them, and to be tested by fire. To fall, to get up, and move forward with purpose.
Experts are not born. Expertise is not validated by a piece of paper that hangs on the wall. It is certainly not acquired by having people tell you how wonderful you are…
It is learned behavior. Time to step up to the challenge and take baby steps to becoming the ‘expert’ she expects me to be.
About Hemant Rustogi