Want to succeed in work and life? Be bad first.

Do not confuse this with the familiar call to fail fast (so often heard in the startup world in recent years). This is a longer game. It is about getting comfortable with being novices and of committing to learning new, hard skills that take years to acquire. In a world of rapid-fire change, constant connection, and lots of choices, it is a necessary goal.

Erika Andersen, wants to teach us how to do just that. Erika is the Founder of Proteus, author of three books on leadership, and a Forbes contributor. She shares concrete tips and great examples in her latest book, Be Bad First: Get Good at Things Fast to Stay Ready for the Future.

Insights from our interview:

The key skill for success in the 21st century
Why being bad first is not about failing fast or failing forward
How open are we to learning new ideas? Less open than we say.
How we hate being bad at things but love getting good at things
How our desire for mastery can work in our favor with new challenges
How hard are you clinging to the skills you have? How is that working for you?
Four mental skills crucial for learning
How Michelangelo successfully navigated being bad first
The role innovation plays in getting ourselves to learn new things
How to put our self talk to work for us rather than against us
How we cannot get the help we need if we do not know our gaps
How to revise and reframe our negative self talk
What does healthy curiosity look like in adulthood?
Confused about curiosity? Watch a 3-year-old!
Get curious by unleashing your drive to understand
Value the expertise of others enough to ask them questions
Expected to be expert in your field? Beware of asking these questions.
Want to reclaim your innate curiosity? Start with your hobbies!
Anti-curiosity strongly connected to negative self talk
Risk-free way to practice being bad first? Write with your non-dominant hand.
It is impossible to be good at something you have never done - remember that
Learning something new? Find your bridge - the part you know something about.
Three things we need to believe in order to change our behavior.
When leaders model new behaviors, change goes faster in their orgs
Every year, pick something new to be bad at.

Episode Links

@ErikaAndersen

Erika Andersen

Rookie Smarts by Liz Wiseman

Duolingo

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CM 059: Erika Andersen on Getting Good Fast

Curious Minds at Work