In anyone's career path, especially when the career deals with knowledge or expertise, there are certain stages that a person goes through.
First, the person is a novice. No one expects a novice to know much or to be perfect.
Then, the person becomes an expert. Experts are expected to be competent and never make a mistake.
Next, the person is called a guru. A guru lives on a high mountaintop, meditating. Every so often, a novice or an expert treks up the mountain to imbibe wisdom or sage advice, or to bask in the glory of their own personal Obi-wan.
From there, it is all downhill. People discover that their guru is not so perfect, and does not have all the answers. They begin to call him overrated.
Finally, they become tired of hearing about the man, and sick of his name. They begin to see him as a poseur or a rank imposter.
I was once known as a guru within my small circle of colleagues. Now I am just overrated. However, this awareness keeps me humble and grounded, as I know all too well that the respect I have today can be gone in a minute, as soon as people discover that I am, after all, only human and prone to mistakes.
Where are you on this continuum?
First, the person is a novice. No one expects a novice to know much or to be perfect.
Then, the person becomes an expert. Experts are expected to be competent and never make a mistake.
Next, the person is called a guru. A guru lives on a high mountaintop, meditating. Every so often, a novice or an expert treks up the mountain to imbibe wisdom or sage advice, or to bask in the glory of their own personal Obi-wan.
From there, it is all downhill. People discover that their guru is not so perfect, and does not have all the answers. They begin to call him overrated.
Finally, they become tired of hearing about the man, and sick of his name. They begin to see him as a poseur or a rank imposter.
I was once known as a guru within my small circle of colleagues. Now I am just overrated. However, this awareness keeps me humble and grounded, as I know all too well that the respect I have today can be gone in a minute, as soon as people discover that I am, after all, only human and prone to mistakes.
Where are you on this continuum?
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