“Each generation wants new symbols, new people, new names. They want to divorce themselves from their predecessors.”
Jim Morrison
In consulting, just about everyone wears the label of “expert” at something. You hear the word spread about like cake at 3-year old’s birthday – all over absolutely everything. I am not going to get into what constitutes expertise (although I am at least slightly partial to the 10,000 hours argument). That’s not my issue. That’s not my beef.
What does bother me is that the name or description “expert” is a seriously less-than-creative use of the over one million words in the English language. How about finding one or many of these you like better and wearing them. They certainly have personality. Try them on, find a few that fit. Beware, though, once you start wearing a new mantle, you might be tempted to be the best you can at it. Or at least, that’s my hope.
- Pioneer (are you willing to go where no one has gone before?)
- Muse (do you inspire others?)
- Curator (can you help organize and shape perspective?)
- Rebel (do you go against “because that’s the way we do it?”)
- Energizer (can you spur people to act?)
- Engineer (is making things work your game?)
- Designer (can you make s solution that makes people love something?)
- Innovator (do you care deeply about creating shared value?)
- Trailblazer (do you see the road less travelled as a positive?)
- Rogue (It’s okay to be a little out there)
- Luminary (can you make ideas come to light?)
- Renegade (don’t accept yesterday’s answers)
- Subversive (especially for torpedo’ing inefficiency)
- Dynamo (can you move things forward?)
- Alchemist (can you make magic happen?)
- Conspirator (we all need a partner in making the organization work better)
- Angel (as in investor)
- Anarchist (boat rocking is a good thing)
- Doyenne (it’s not just for Manhattan’s upper east side)
- Red-Shirt (someone has to ask the tough questions)
- Collaborator (how often do you say “I can help…?”)
Which one would you pick? Let me know via twitter at @Hermione1
Cristene Gonzalez-Wertz
cjgw
