Edwin van der Thiel

ALT Jeffrey: Here are the physics: as information explodes, expertise narrows. As paradigms shift, expertise expires. This is a tough industry and I constantly feel like I’m on my heels and can’t keep up. To me, the necessary, but difficult, step was shifting my focus and feeling of self-worth from ‘knowing’ to ‘learning’. Sounds safe and simple but when you are the most senior person in a room and you have no idea what people are talking about, that is an uncomfortable chair to sit in. I take a deep breath, lean in, give myself permission to ask ‘dumb’ questions and suddenly, my anxiety gets replaced with excitement. It turns out that my hard-earned scar tissue is useful in seeing patterns, knowing what matters, how and when to listen to customers, knowing when to be cautious and when to be bold, how to create a roadmap, and most importantly - how to work with a wide range people to accomplish results. When in doubt, focus on people. Always.