There are many popular sayings, such as, “You are the sum total of the books you read and the people you surround yourself with” or “Don’t make the same mistake twice; learn from other people’s mistakes.” These highlight the value of learning from others’ experiences. This inspired me and led me to the concept of ‘Leveraged Learning.’
With the “Leveraged Learning” series, you can speed up your career by avoiding common mistakes, saving time, money, and effort. You don’t need to trip over every hurdle to keep moving forward. The more obstacles you can jump over without falling, the more time you save—time that would otherwise be spent picking yourself up and healing. That’s what books and mentors do: they give you a chance to learn from others’ experiences and mistakes.
We often think all the great ideas have already been taken, or everything worth doing has already been done. But my mindset changed after reading “How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.” This book showed me that with all the information available today, it’s actually easier to start fresh and do even better than before. Knowing what others have done, and the mistakes they made, helps us build on what’s already there and create something new.
Talking to people and learning from their experiences—their mistakes, choices, and the reasons behind them—helps us make better decisions in our own lives, both professionally and personally. With Leveraged Learning, you can grow faster because someone else has already gone through the tough times. By learning from them, you can avoid many problems because you’re better prepared.
Recently, I had a discussion with Siddhartha Rastogi, the author of “The 100X Formula.” I found so much valuable advice in his book that I highlighted many parts. After our discussion in Mumbai, I asked Siddhartha for some personal advice. He told me, “Right now, you’re on the right path and doing things well. Make sure to note this down, so whenever you stray from your path, you can read it and get back on track.” This advice stuck with me because it reminds us to stay true to our goals, using the lessons from others to guide us back whenever we feel lost.
Check out my podcast with Siddhartha Rastogi!
