Leader's Compass 7 - The Shell Game - The Wrong Game to Play With Your Life and Career

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction"

- Albert Einstein 

Let's play a game. I'll speak and you nod approvingly. The more I talk about things that you don't understand you engage more - not to learn - but to pretend that you already know what I'm talking about. 

We've all seen the shell game played out before. Someone takes a small ball or token  and places it under one of three shells. My job is to keep my eye on the shell that has the ball underneath it and, regardless of movement or distraction guess where the ball is. The more skilled the gamer - the more difficult it is for me to stay with the ball.

This game is played out mentally and emotionally regularly in our lives, our jobs, our relationships etc. by taking the ball (what we don't know, our ignorance) and moving it around, distracting those around us. Nodding, validating comments, flattery, deflection, changing the subject - all these tools can be used to win the shell game and hide our weakness from others and often ourselves. As Einstein said, "any intelligent fool can make things...more complex."

Years ago I worked very hard to increase the maximum amount of weight I could dead lift. I worked hard for months and even years to perfect my form, increase my strength and little by little improve the amount I could lift. I remember when I broke past the 400 lb barrier. It felt great for a guy my size to lift over 400 lbs. It felt heavy! Just thinking about the weight now makes my body tighten up!

Over the years I've observed that, for some there is a set of words that seem to weigh so much that men and women just don't want to lift them up. Three words - "I don't know" - seem as heavy as my 400 lb dead lifts. It's easier for some to play the shell game rather than admit, with both humility and willingness to learn that they don't know. 

Some years ago I ran into a roadblock when trying to figure out a complicated problem for a client. Frustrated, the phrase - "If I don't know, it's my time to grow" came to mind. Since then, this simple phrase has reminded me that if and when I reach the end of my competence in a particular area of life, growth is on the other side of admitting my current knowledge or skill gap.

Experts make difficult ideas, concepts and/or tasks seem simple. I think this is part of what Einstien was referencing in his quote. A fool plays games to deceive. Genius and courage come from those who decide to take the first step toward progress by saying "I don't know." Experts are created by starting with the "I don't know," progressing toward the "I will know," and staying consistent with the "I do" until time and experience have polished them into an expert.

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