Another gem emerges from my scraps of scribbles – SCN Encourager

Oops! I found one more habit shared by experts.

And I have to give Cindy the credit for this one.

Hours after I had emailed yesterday’s Encourager about three shared habits of thought leaders and experts, she asked me how long I was going to leave my bits of paper piled up on our dining room table.

While you and I  know that “extensive research” sometimes has to left alone to rest for awhile  – like a fine wine or a starting pitcher in baseball – I didn’t think it would be a good idea to point this out.

Frequently it’s difficult for a non-school communicator to understand our ways.

So, I just scooped up my tiny scraps and walked over to the trash can under our kitchen sink.

On my way, I spotted a question mark and the words “I don’t know” penned on one of the scraps.

I can’t believe I had overlooked this note – because it represents another common behavior embraced by thought leaders and experts.

How often have you responded to a question with an honest “I don’t know?”

Probably a lot of times.

And if you’re anything like me, definitely a lot of times.

Thought leaders and experts will do the same.

There’s no shame in saying “I don’t know.”

Only fools act like know-it-alls.

But here’s where thought leaders and experts typically insert a unique twist.

Whenever one of them says “I don’t know,” he or she will take special note of the question that was asked.

Why?

Because this is where the opportunity to grow is found.

Thought leaders and experts don’t flee from tough and hard questions.

They welcome them.

They appreciate people providing them with the questions they should “work on.”

Good questions will push them outside of their personal comfort zones.

This is why they take special note of them and put them in a safe place.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you if they keep their notes on the dining room table or not.

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