I Know That vs. I Do That

In today’s world we’re fortunate to be saturated with unlimited information on leadership and management.  If I have a perplexing leadership question, answers are one simple Google search away.  If I want to dig deep into a particular leadership concept, I’m almost guaranteed there’s a book for it. If I have enough money and time I can go from one conference to another collecting notebooks full of leadership insights. Finding the knowledge and information regarding the challenges of leadership is easy.

So why is it that after spending hours on the internet, reading books and listening to experts I still make leadership mistakes? As I’m exposed to leadership principles I often find myself thinking, “I know that.”  To be honest most leadership is simply common sense, so when we’re exposed to leadership principles it’s easy to think, “I know that.”

BUT “I know that” doesn’t mean a thing unless I apply it.  Knowledge has no significant effect unless it impacts my behaviors.  So as I am researching, reading or listening to essential leadership principles my focus must change from “I know that” to “I do that”.  If I can’t say “I do that” then I should stop, write down the principle and find a way to put it into practice immediately in my day to day leadership. Then after repeated practice I can begin to say, “I do that”.  And that’s when you really begin to grow as a leader.