“Don’t be buffaloed by experts and elites.”

Colin Powell said it well in his leadership presentation.

How many times have you given up doing something altogether because some “experts” told you that it is not going to work, or you should analyze more before taking the plunge?

Many, many times.

The experts may not tell you to quit in person, but their words and voices sure scared you to death when you were trying to do something remotely interesting.

To Listen or Not to Listen, That the Question

For example, in the current economic times, many so-called “experts” or “been-there-done-that” people would tell you not to invest in the stock market or start a new business. Either because their fingers got burned by the crash or they business failed in the first year.

I’d tell you this, now is the best time to thrive and the best time to find bargains, despite what the common viewpoint is. You need to know what you’re doing for sure, since you can’t just jump into home building business without knowing how to lay a brick.

Do you want to listen to them, to me, or to your own guts?

Be Practical and Cure the Analysis Paralysis

It’s also about being practical. The experts had gone through what you are going through, but they are taking a break now because they’re the experts. They don’t have to walk the talk any more, and so they just talk the talk. Besides, they play directly into your emotions, fear of failures. And people like it because now they find a reason NOT to do something. It’s hard work, and sometimes it’s painful if you don’t have a clear purpose.

Many of us suffer from analysis paralysis. We are only willing to make a decision based on a huge sample of data. Yes, I have to agree that data is important. That’s how you keep track of whether your business is doing well, your finances are well managed, your blog is getting better.

Yet, if we only rely on data, we will lose the judgment that we are born with. Your left brain will tell you that the data is helping you, but it’s the right brain that will help you bring yourself to the next level. It’s guts, passions, dreams that will kick yourself in the face and make you think holistically.

Quick Decisions will Help You Seize Opportunities

Besides, you don’t have time for a lengthy data analysis. Either you do it, or you don’t. Making quick decisions is one of the most important skills if you want to be successful in life. Great opportunities come and go, if you don’t grab it when you see it, you lose it.

If you want to be real leader, don’t just act like an expert when you’re not really doing anything. You have to be the person at the forefront of the battle field. Why else do you think a great general stands in the front line all the time? If a general is so valuable, he could just sit at the back and give commands. That would ensure his safety, right?

But if he just stays behind his own soldiers, he won’t know what is exactly happening in the battle. He won’t know what the soldiers are going through and what they’re thinking about. He’d be too relaxed in his own little world. And that’s when the enemies strike, and all is over…

You’re an Entrepreneur? Take Out Your Own Trash

If you are the President/CEO of your own company, you need to do whatever it takes to keep the business running and growing. When necessary, you have to take out the garbage, answer the phone, deposit the checks. It becomes even more obvious if you are the only one in your company.

Remember: the leader has to be the one that does the most work. Many people get this wrong and think their bosses have a lot of free time. Those are bad bosses. You have to lead by examples, if not nobody would work hard for you.

It’s tough, but it’s also rewarding. You will know the ins-and-outs of the entire company. When the time comes for you to manage your new employees, you will know exactly what it takes to get the job done and not just ask them to figure it out (when they don’t even know how to spell your full name?).

Your experts won’t tell you to think for yourself. They won’t tell you to make quick decisions. Heck, they won’t even help you take out the garbage! You still want to value their opinions because they had been there, done that and could possibly teach you a few useful tips. But when it comes to what you’re doing, you’re on your own.

I hope you’re getting the benefits from this post and will become a better leader in every aspect of your life. If you put your mind to it and learn from your mistakes, you can make a difference in your life, and more often someone else’s too.

Finally, here are some suggestions for you:

1) Get your butt off the chair and start doing real work instead of just talking about it (it doesn’t apply if you’re a blogger since you work on the chair, hopefully a comfortable one).

2) Don’t keep analyzing data without actually doing something about it. The experts might have valid points, but they’re not in your shoes. Only you know what you do. Even personal decision making skills will help get you started.

3) Understand what your members/employees/followers have to go through to produce results. It’s best if you’d done it before, otherwise you should do it at least once yourself.

What do you think about leadership? What are you going to change today? If you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment below!

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