Everyone has an opinion. And in the age of social media, seems to be an expert on something. They present themselves as someone with complete knowledge of a topic and thanks to their “generosity”, these “experts” feel free to share it with everyone.
So how do you know if you or someone else is truly an expert?
Former Super Bowl champion head coach and Hall of Fame broadcaster John Maddon tells a legendary story of attending a coaching clinic put on by the great Vince Lombardi. Coach Lombardi talked for eight hours about one play!!! It was then Coach Maddon discovered how little he truly understood about the game of football and how much more there was still left to learn.
Peyton Manning
Below is a 3-minute clip from a NFL Films documentary on quarterback Peyton Manning entitled “Summer School”. During the summer of 2012, cameras captured a session in which Manning taught the Tennessee Volunteers coaching staff.
This demonstrates why I think Peyton Manning is the most prepared athlete I have ever seen. As you watch the video below, you will understand why I have come to this conclusion. Afterwards, using Manning’s presentation as an example, I will break down 10 Ways To Tell If You Or Someone Else Is Truly An Expert At Something I gleaned from the video.
10 Ways To Tell If You Or Someone Else Is Truly An Expert At Something
Experts have a deep well of knowledge about their subject matter.
They can talk a long time about what the average person would consider as minutia. Experts are often very boring at parties. They can go on and on and on about a subject. Ask them the time, they will tell you how to build a clock. But that is one of the reasons they are an expert.
Experts never confuse exposure with experience. Coach Lombardi had won two Super Bowls. This gave him the experience to talk 8 hours about a single play. Because of the length of his career and the knowledge he had accumulated, Manning could spend vast amounts of time on various individual drills and plays.
Experts freely share their knowledge.
They are passionate about their area of expertise. Just ask them. They can’t imagine someone not being as excited about the topic as they are. It is the passing on of this information and making their subject accessible to everyone which give most experts the greatest joy.
Experts are continual learners.
Something experts have discovered, and this is counter-intuitive, is the more you learn, the more you know how much you don’t know. Manning demands to be coached and is frustrated when he is not. If he makes a mistake, he wants to know. Experts rarely get stale. Their love for their craft and desire to keep learning is what keeps them relevant and experts.
Experts love the fundamentals.
You would think an expert would not have to spend much time on the fundamentals of their craft. After all, they have already achieved mastery of those. However, what experts know is it is the mastery of fundamentals which makes them an expert. Therefore, they constantly keep working on the fundamentals. For more a vivid illustration on an expert’s devotion to working on the fundamentals, read A Tribute To The Work Ethic And Practice Habits Of Kobe Bryant.
Experts have a deep file cabinet of unshared wisdom which they can and will use when the timing is right.
Experts understand timing and often redshirt their skills and ideas. This is very important and also counterintuitive. They have practice drills and fundamentals for a long time even if they do not use them immediately. Did you notice the example Manning gave of practicing a bag drill for 19 years before he ever used it in a game? Experts understand the value of redshirting. It gives things time to mature. There are things you master today which you may not use for years that help make you an expert.
Experts work hard, very hard.
In my book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders, hard work is identified as one of the items characterizes the world’s greatest leaders. Success smells a lot like sweat. It’s about effort. Experts know they are always getting better or worse so they treat practice like a game. They never waste an opportunity to get better.
Experts make a big deal about little things.
How you do anything is how you do everything. It is the details that matter. I recently wrote about the importance of details in The Primary Difference Between Ordinary and Extraordinary Leaders, Teams, and Overall Performance. The intricate details in how Manning demonstrated the pump fake was a picture of what an expert looks like.
Experts are humble and write things down.
Most experts don’t think they are experts. Many novices mistakingly think they are experts.
Experts are humble. Even though they are an expert, they never miss an opportunity to learn more. Therefore, pen, pencil, and paper (or Evernote) should be mandatory in every meeting. If you are not writing things down and recording the information provided, the use of time is a missed opportunity and has been misappropriated.
Experts immediately process information.
Once you write something down, you need to process it within 24 hours. Because of the busyness of life, our mind becomes cluttered with too much (mostly unnecessary) information. So if you don’t write it down, it is often forgotten and a missed opportunity. And if you don’t then process it immediately, it is also becomes a missed opportunity.
Experts never confuse activity with accomplishment.
Optics do not impress experts. What impresses experts are results and the advancement of the organization’s mission and vision. Experts want to know is their knowledge being properly leveraged to help other people?
Peyton Manning is an expert at quarterbacking and at the game of football. Make a checklist of these 10 items and then grade yourself. After conducting your self-evaluation, then ask yourself if you would be considered an expert? If not, what do you need to work on to become one?
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