The Art of Filtering Advice: A Leader’s Perspective on Professional Wisdom

Early in my career, I received some questionable advice from a legendary teacher that made me realize something crucial: not all advice, even from successful people, should be followed without careful consideration.

Here's the framework I've developed for filtering professional advice:

Examine the Source's Intent

• Are they genuinely trying to help?
• What's their motivation for sharing this guidance?
• Even well-intentioned advice from successful people needs evaluation

Consider the Credibility

• Is the person giving advice an expert in this area?
• Do they have relevant experience?
• Remember: attending school doesn't make someone an education expert

Align with Your Values

• Does the advice conflict with your core beliefs?
• Can you defend this approach to stakeholders?
• Just because something worked for someone else doesn't mean it aligns with who you are

Find the 10% Truth

• Even in seemingly bad advice, there's often a kernel of wisdom
• Sometimes you have to "squint" to find the valuable takeaway
• Use these insights to inform your approach, even if you reject the specific advice

Evaluate the Impact on People

• How will this affect your team, students, or stakeholders?
• Consider how your most positive and productive people would react
• Remember: leadership is about people, not just results

The most dangerous advice isn't always the obviously bad guidance - it's the advice that sounds brilliant but hasn't been properly filtered through your professional judgment and values.

What's the best (or worst) professional advice you've received? How do you filter the guidance you receive?

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