In today’s CityLead session, we’re looking at uncovering the genius of a group of people across industries called rookies and discovering what we can learn from them. We often hear of “rookie mistakes,” but we don’t hear of “rookie smarts.” Author Liz Wiseman covered this topic in her book, Rookie Smarts, which is where this session gets its name.
We’re going to start by asking a question: Which is better? Knowing, or learning?
Both the knowledge of industry veterans and the attitude of learning held by rookies are important in making any company run. But at CityLead, we would argue that due to the constant nature of change and growth in every industry, having a rookie’s attitude of constant learning is the most important to be successful.
Four things to do to have Rookie Smarts
1. Be a Learner: Ask good questions, and listen.
When you ask questions and listen well to the answers, you:
- Build trust with the other person. They can say to you:
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- “I believe you. You have integrity.”
- “I believe in you. You have credibility.”
- I believe you have my best interests at heart. You have my confidence.”
- I believe you can handle this. You are competent.”
2. Be curious: Explore
Do some self-evaluation and ask:
- What is the thing I do best? (What are my strengths?)
- What do I do without effort? (What comes easily to me?)
- What do I enjoy doing so much that I do it without being asked? (What is my passion?)
- What do I tend to do better than others around me? (Where do I stand out?)
3. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and collaborate with them.
Remember: if you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re in a pretty small room.
4. Have a bias toward action. Be helpful.
Do your job and do it well, but also help others do their jobs well.
These are just a few tips from this month’s CityLead session on developing good habits that will help you go far in business and in life. If you liked the information presented here and are interested in hosting your own CityLead gathering, contact cameron@citylead.com to find out more.
