WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY THE TEACHER WILL ARRIVE!

WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY THE TEACHER WILL ARRIVE!

"Spark of wisdom is a touch of divinity."

James R. Fisher, Jr., Ph.D.
© January 2008

“Do not train boys to learning by force and harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be the better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”

Plato

“There is the spark of wisdom in the ashes of experience in everyone’s life.”

James R. Fisher, Jr.

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This is a typical exchange that I have gotten for years from people that have read my books and articles, and it is so typical that I thought I should broaden my base to share this particular one with you.

COMMENTS FROM A READER NAMED TED:

I've been reading Confident Selling for the 90's for the past 3 days (too much to do to read swiftly right now), and let me tell you, it is truly outstanding - I feel like you're right in the room speaking to me directly. Your insights are often exquisite. I can't wait to read your next, which I think will be Work Without Managers. If I had read this book right in '92, when I was still at the start of my sales career... Oh, well. No regrets.

I love the term "administrivialities!" I laughed out loud over my coffee this morning when I found that one. My one comment so far is that the way you told me your tale of Mr.. Blue was much better than the cleaned-up version in your book. I enjoyed your added detail and more colorful language. For what it's worth.

Remember the collaborative book we discussed back in Nov.-Dec., "Enlightened Leadership," to plant our flag and get NI on the map? I hope you're still up for writing a chapter for it. Your friend Ken Shelton has agreed to help in some way. I hope we have 10-20 authors involved, including you, Gene, and me. I'm going to ask a few best-sellers I've befriended in the past couple of years, and I asked Ken if he would invite some of the ones I don't know.

How long do you think it would take you to write your chapter? I can write mine in a night - I've already been noodling over it. The theme of the book, remember, is that business leaders who do the Right thing have more successful companies. After that, what you write is all you.

Talk to you soon,
Ted

MY RESPONSE TO TED

Ted,
It would be nice if you would put these comments on CONFIDENT SELLING FOR THE 90s on www.amazon.com where customers give reviews. I think the book is as apropos today and when it was first written. Likewise, I have had executives write me letters (Internet was not around when WORK WITHOUT MANAGERS was written), saying that had they read the book early in their careers they would have been CEOs. Interesting.

Be always well,
Jim

PS I will be honored to join you in this most worthy enterprise of enlightened leadership with such distinguished company, teachers all.

COMMENTS FROM TED

Consider it done! I meant every word.

You know, it's funny: just after college, my best friend, Jose, and I were surfing in California, waiting in the water to catch a wave - there's a lot of waiting involved in that sport. We agreed that if we could just find some successful guy to take us under his wing, we'd do anything, shine his shoes, fetch his paper - whatever he said, just so long as he'd teach us his secrets.

Only a few months later, we wound up in a company with this charismatic leader, a guy who made $1 million a month of personal income, who taught us all sorts of very valuable information, especially in the realm of sales. I literally learned more psychology in that year with him than as a psych minor. We thought our surfing-wish had come true.

...well, sort of. We both decided to leave after a year. The guy was a lot of things, including a shyster.

Years pass. I struggle, I figure some things out. Mentors of use are few and far between, so I do it the hard way, through plenty of error in my trials. Then, I publish a book. An expert myself, suddenly, I'm surrounded by experts. In the past year, especially, all sorts of sages are taking my calls, giving me advice... even asking me for advice!

If only I had met you around the time of that surfing expedition. The thing I know, though, is that "When the student is ready, the master will appear." I probably wouldn't have been ready for all of your lessons, and I would have had little of value to give you at that time, either, so our current relationship likely would not have happened.

And that's fine. Life has a way of taking care of its self.
Ted

FINAL COMMENT:

A teacher is a perennial student picking up a little wisdom along the way, and finding that there are sparks of wisdom in the ashes of that experience.

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Dr. Fisher’s latest book is A LOOK BACK TO SEE AHEAD (AuthorHouse 2007).