Proximity
In our world of work, we have no shortage of training.
When I first started out in work, online training was limited, the internet was still new, and we had to fight hard just to get access to any training at all. Things have improved, but I’m not convinced the results are where they need to be.
Today, we have a plethora of training options (you know I love that word). Some companies offer unlimited courses and certifications. I work with people every day who have far more qualifications than I do. On paper, their CVs would tower over mine.
Yet, as Neil Gaiman once implied, there are plenty of qualified people who don’t know what they’re doing. There’s often a big gap between knowing and doing.
Being able to do the work is far more powerful than simply knowing how to do it.
This article first appeared in the Meeting Notes newsletter - Get One Idea a Week to Lead with clarity and cultivate workplaces that enrich the lives of all who work in them.
Subscribe
Proximity to Great People
The key to doing great work isn’t just lessons or certifications — it’s proximity to people who excel at what they do, and doing the work alongside them. Watching an expert in action teaches far more than reading a book.
You don’t need formal lessons to study an expert. Observe their behaviours:
- What they do
- How they communicate
- How they carry themselves
- The work they produce
Mimic, study, and integrate these behaviours into your own. To do this, you need proximity — to be with them, near them, or even virtually present through video, talks, or other media.
The best way to become a great manager is to be close to a great manager. Ideally, they’ll be your boss:
- Setting high standards but showing kindness when you fall short
- Demonstrating exemplary behaviours
- Providing clarity, hope, and a compelling future
- Giving feedback to help you grow
The same applies to communicators, creators, leaders, artists, carpenters, coders, and negotiators. They exist as role models—we just need to study them.
Surround Yourself with Excellence
Jim Rohn said we are the average of the people we spend the most time with. That’s true in life — and at work. Surround yourself with people you admire, who are excellent at what they do, and who bring passion to their work.
Communities, conferences, and workplaces all hold role models. Study them. Observe them. Often, the fine details reveal why they are so effective. The insights you gain from this will far outweigh any lesson or course.
Certifications have their place, but they should never replace the value of being close to an expert. On-the-job learning, proximity to high-quality people, and shifting your own behaviours based on what you observe — that’s the path to mastery.
Proximity beats a lesson every time.
The link has been copied!
