Recently I was a guest on a podcast. Over 300 in three years—due to COVID, it’s really the only platform available to launch a book, given the suspension of most live, in-person events and extreme caution around in-store book signings (although I am in Miami next week at the iconic independent bookstore Books & Books, with a whopping 30 masked participants).
Okay, back to the podcast…after we concluded and the host stopped the recording, he lamented that most of today’s authors and thought leaders all seem to be regurgitating the same content and ideas and that I seemed to be different. He felt my contribution was fresh and original.
I thanked him profusely, both for the praise and the platform. But when I hung up, I thought, Did he really listen to me?
I’m not sure I shared a single original idea during our 60-minute interview.
Afterall, I am an aggregator. I synthesize genius from others and share it through my experiences personally and professionally. With millions of people worldwide.
I aggregate and collect. Not entirely sure I’ve had an original thought in my life.
And I’m actually just fine with that assessment. I don’t believe you have to be an originator to add value. Just look at Larry King. He was a pollinator.
Master Mentors: 30 Transformative Insights From Our Greatest Minds is my recent book, based on 30 guest interviews from FranklinCovey’s weekly podcast, On Leadership With Scott Miller, and I hope you see me as the pollinator of these Mentors’ genius. Their transformative insights. Not mine, theirs.
Not only am I not ashamed that this book is a compilation of other people’s ideas and experiences, I’m incredibly proud and honored to have had access to them and to turbocharge their impact and distribution. It’s now how I see my contribution. I’m a pollinator. I hunt for great ideas, then share them with anyone who wants to listen—which just so happens to be many millions who access the podcast and soon the Master Mentors series, of which there will be ten volumes highlighting 30 new mentors in each volume.
I started the podcast for FranklinCovey at age 50. I’m now 53 and have learned my real passion and skill is being a pollinator. I’ve had roles in sales, project management, business development, marketing, public relations, leadership, service and hospitality, and others. Certainly those nearly four decades have taught me a thing or two that I pull from, but my real skill I think is promoting others—who actually do have original ideas and ensuring as many of us as possible can access them. And ideally implement them to be better leaders, parents, partners and spouses, friends and humans.
So I guess in a nutshell, I create and provide access.
In a nutshell, what do you do? Have you discovered it yet? If not—keep looking—it’s coming.
Remember, Dr. Stephen R. Covey published The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People at age 57.
It’s never too late to discover what you do…
Perhaps Master Mentors will inspire you to look harder!
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