How to become an expert
8 really easy tips that will make it happen
One of the fears that hold us back from pursuing our dreams is the perception that we’re not good enough.
I grew up in Sweden, a country known for its equality and progress in many different areas. But also a country where we have a word for that you shouldn’t think you’re better than anyone else – jante.
In this blog post I’m not going to break that Swedish unwritten jante law, I’m just going to analyze what being an expert means and how to become one.
Being an expert doesn’t mean that you’re a better person than anyone else. It means that you are the go-to person for a specific topic or service. The person next to you might be the expert in a completely different topic, or in the same topic as you for that matter.
“See,” you might say, “there are so many others out there who know much more than I do.”
Ehrm. Well. Yes. We are close to 8 billion people on the earth. 8 billion. I think it would be rather odd if there was no-one else that knew exactly as much as you do, or even more. On the other hand. Out of these 8 billion people, there are many people who know less than you do.
Think of the Olympic gold medalists, or the Oscar winners – they are the experts at what they do for a specific period of time. Others follow that win medals and prizes, but it doesn’t mean that the previous winners didn’t do great.
So, here’s what we’ll do. We’ll go through 8 really easy actions and after that you can decide whether you’d like to become an expert or not.
1. Want it
I don’t really like using the word “must” but in this case it’s essential. You need to have a passion, and a drive to want to become an advisor within your chosen area of expertise. If you don’t, it will shine through and others who are more passionate about the topic will be the ones that people prefer asking for advice.
2. Believe it
You need to believe in it yourself, that you can pull it off. You don’t necessarily need to be convinced that you are the expert already. Everyone starts as beginners, and you can too. But you need to believe that you can do it. It’s like with everything else – your mind is your best friend and worst enemy. If you don’t watch out it can destroy your confidence and make you small in a second. Don’t let it do that to you.
I believe in you, you should too.
3. Listen
Be curious and interested in what the person you’re talking with – or rather listening to – is saying. Listen without judgement, don’t interrupt or add your own thoughts and opinions.
You’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn by listening to people. Hear what they are saying, and what they’re not saying.
4. Be inspired
According to 508 interviews conducted by Magnus Helgesson (Swedish coach and speaker) successful people have one thing in common, and that is that they have role models.
While reading other people’s assessments, books, articles or summaries, listening to and watching them, you will automatically learn.
Role models are also humans. They have flaws and you might not agree with everything they say, but that is also a learning.
Soak up what others know and make up your own mind about it.
5. Dare to speak up
You need to make people aware of your knowledge. If you hold all that knowledge within you, no one will come to you for advice.
If you don’t yet dare, or know how, why not have a look at my previous blog posts about How to overcome imposter syndrome and How to be more courageous.
If you don’t dare to say it, someone else will, which leads me to the next point.
6. Don’t steal someone else’s thunder
I once attended a senior management off-site, where a consultant gave a speech on change and what it does to people. A question popped up in my mind, but instead of asking it, I whispered it to the person sitting next to me. He immediately raised his hand and asked the question. Not mentioning with even a sigh that the question was actually mine.
See, asking someone else’s questions, making someone else’s statement, or present someone else's work as your own won't work in the long run. People talk. You don’t want them to talk about you in that sense.
Instead. Ask the question saying something in line with “Sarah (or whatever the person’s name is) had a really good question / comment / thought…”
The person you mentioned by name will thank you for it, and others will also think that you’re generous. They will still remember you as the smart person that spoke up.
7. What are your needs?
What is it that makes you want to become an expert within your area of choice?
Think about that question for a moment.
Now write down the answer.
Read it out loud.
Does it still feel right? Is this what you want?
If the answer is YES! Congratulations! You’ve just nailed your motivation and the purpose of this dream. Now that you’ve defined the purpose you will also be able to prioritize it. Your dream has become tangible.
When I started my journey to motivate and help others to make their dreams come true it was important to me that I had a solid coaching degree in my hands. Not just for my clients, but for myself, for my confidence. Yes, I had led and motivated teams and working groups for many years before I took this turn on my life path, but this was something else. Before shouting out over the roofs that I’m here to help I wanted to fill my backpack of experience with additional knowledge.
So, what is it that you need to make this dream come true?
8. Be patient
Let’s be honest here. You won’t become an expert overnight. Some statistics say that if you spend 10’000 hours on anything, you will master it. Not so sure about that one to be honest, I believe you have to have talent, or at least be passionate about it.
On the other hand, why would you spend 10’000 hours on something you don’t like. Oh. Yes. Totally forgot. I’ve spent more than that on my previous career. But to be fair, I didn’t dislike everything. But it wasn’t what I was passionate about.
But let’s go back to being patient. Yes, you need to be patient, but this isn’t a fairy tale. The prince won’t come knocking on your door and ask you out just because you left something at the grocery store (as I guess no one walks around in glass slippers or goes to ball dances at castles nowadays). You need to go after it yourself.
Have you made up your mind yet?
I believe you have. You are going to be an expert. Go chase that expertise of yours. Put your thoughts into action, and if you need someone to air your concerns or doubts with you know where to find me.
