I am a marathoner. I am a marathoner in the sense that I have run marathons in the past. My theory is that once you run a marathon you are forever a marathoner. The fact that I have not run one in a few years doesn’t really matter. Throughout all of my marathon training I learned many valuable lessons. One lesson, however, stands above all the rest:
I have been tying my shoes wrong for most of my life.
Chances are that you are too…regardless of age, educational background, or the amount of silver spoons that were in your mouth when you were born. I want to teach you how to tie your shoes correctly. This is what we do at ryaneller.com, we change lives one shoelace at a time.
Once I learned this neat trick, I started thinking about all of the other things I might be wrong about. This turned my world upside down! I found out that I also open my bananas incorrectly. What??
Throughout this self-discovery process I started thinking about how my misconceptions about shoes and bananas was directly related to leadership. I want to share these with you, because of course, I know you care!
1. Ask Questions: Ask questions about things you have known your whole life. Just because you were taught something as a child does not mean it is correct. Start to rethink the things you assume are 100% true.
2. Be Open to New Ideas. You don’t have to be a pessimist, or even a realist about the things you know. When someone provides you with a new way to look at something, try to look from their viewpoint.
3. Do Some Research. If I would have watched the video above years ago, I wouldn’t have so many untied shoes in my life. Start looking for ways to improve upon all of the things you know. Read books, watch videos, listen to seminars.
I hope these lessons help you along on your journey. What types of things have you learned that completely changed your viewpoint? Please share in the comments below!
