I’ve written about this before, and there are some days that the lesson really comes home to roost, so to speak. You can’t know too much. You just can’t. So young people who graduate from high school or college and figure that they are done with the books, either revise their thoughts or most likely end up in a dead end position wondering why their life is the way that it is.

Working on my knowledge base, this week I am reading Creating Magic, which is an insiders view of the management of Walt Disney World. The book was written by Lee Cockerell, who was the executive VP f operations at WDW. Interesting stuff. Without going into detail here, he gives ten common sense leadership strategies. (to get the details, read the book)

1. Make sure everyone matters..and that everyone knows it

2. Know your team

3. Let your team know you

4. Greet people sincerely

5. Reach out to everyone on your team

6. Make yourself available

7. Listen to understand

8. Communicate clearly, directly and honestly

9. Stand up for the excluded

10. Forget about the chain of command

Interesting stuff. The details are what really bring all of that to life and where all that comes from is Mr. Cockerell’s experience. By writing the book he is sharing things that he has learned over a lifetime of experience and, perhaps, I will gain some fraction of that knowledge by reading the book. That leverages my experience, which is awesome, in my opinion, because then I can use that, and my own experience, to leverage the experiences of those I work and interact with. That’s what it’s really all about.

Knowing where to go for the experience and the knowledge can sometimes be the most difficult part of a journey, and that’s why coaches add such value to life. Their experiences and guidance can make a huge impact on your life progress, whether that be in business or in your personal life. One thing that struck me while listening to the interviews on the Get Inspired! Project was that so many of these very successful people still have coaches to help guide them.

Even more interesting to me was the fact that they looked for very specific coaches that matched up with their needs at the time; again looking for the experience that would complement their own.

Food for thought. I know I’m thinking…