Next Peak Podcast

Experience is Not The Same as Expertise | How to Become a True Expert

November 09, 2021 Clint Herndon & Dr. Parker Houston Season 3 Episode 80
Next Peak Podcast
Experience is Not The Same as Expertise | How to Become a True Expert
Show Notes

In today's episode, Clint Herndon and Dr. Parker Houston talk about how to become a true expert. In fact, you can learn quickly and become an expert sometimes rather quickly if your mindset is in the right place and if you have the right kind of posture, psychological posture towards whatever you're trying to learn or grow in.

Socrates said, "I neither know nor think that I know."

Dr. Houston discusses the Dunning Kruger Effect which says "Unskilled and unaware of it. How difficulties in recognizing one's own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessment."

  1. Incorrect self-assessment of competence derives from the person's ignorance of a given activity's standard of performance. One of our action steps is to know the standards of any particular area that you're in.
  2. Without the self-awareness of metacognition [It's just higher thinking, like being able to watch your own mental process], people cannot objectively evaluate their own level of competence.

Self-Awareness is a vital part of being a great leader. It's a top skill. You can't get better at something unless you're very highly self-aware and you can see where you need to improve.

Action Steps:

  1. Radically accept your brain's desire for certainty and routine. 
  2. Ask for feedback. Overcome your ego. 
  3. Find out about the current best practices in your field.
  4. Talk to people who don't share the same views.
  5. Stay open & stay curious.
  6. Consider looking for these kinds of open and curious learners when hiring. 

If this episode resonated with you today, please subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review. You can find us on Next Peak Podcast. If you want to connect with Dr. Parker Houston, you can find him at LeadYouFirst. Sign up for his weekly blog to receive some research-based tools that will help you transform your work and your life.

Until next week, keep climbing your next peak.