Mastery is “available to anyone who is willing to get on the path and stay on it-regardless of age, sex, or previous experience.” These were the words of George Leonard in a book he wrote called Mastery. Building on what Daniel Pink presented where attainment of Mastery takes 10,000 hours – Leonard reminds us that the journey is the key. So let’s talk about the journey and how organizations promote this journey.
I spent a few hours listing to Bob Newhart presenting at the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan, and here is what he taught me after sharing where he is after 81 years of life. I did not get the sense he was there on any sort of mission, he was just being himself and do what he does best – making people laugh.
10,000 hours translates into 5 years of doing something BEFORE you can be considered to have attained Mastery. So where did this number come from and what does it mean to people trying to attain it and leaders who are trying to grow and retain people that have this?
While I was touring ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan I happened upon a piece of art by James Freeman that provided a brief lesson in leadership and understanding myself. Learning is all around us, and if we take the time to recognize we are in a learning moment – good things tend to happen.
Mastery – Daniel Pink talks about it in his book drive and it is a key word in any discussion about individual development and being a leader that develops human capital (aka: your living, breathing, feeling people!). Pink did not invent Mastery as a significant part of the discussion of leadership and the motivation / development of people, but he does a nice job of highlighting the significance.