ASTRIDING SHOULDERS OF GIANTS: THE PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS OF PERSONAL MASTERY

It was after a theology class in 1997 (don’t ask what I was doing in theology class, that is a story for another day), I had submitted my research paper to my course instructor and he had reviewed it and looked visibly upset. I had written a research paper on the “Torat Moshe” the Law of Moses, also called the Mosaic Law. In my determination to show my teacher that I was an original thinker and I had only presented my views! I had completed my entire paper without citing on solitary authority. In retrospect, I am sure I angered my teacher more than I had estimated at that time.

My teacher who was usually patient was irate, leaned back in his chair and yelled in Latin,

“nanos gigantum humeris insidentes”

He was in the habit of blending his teaching with polished quotes from the ancient languages in which the scriptures were written. But this wasn’t a scripture, he was quoting Sir Issac Newton 1676, when he said,

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on shoulders of giants”.

He went on to explain that the process of Mastery depends on internalizing and integrating everything that had come before you. I had not cited the key Hebrew Historians like Flavius Josephus, Artapanus of Alexandria, Manetho etc. Lesson learnt. I had to redo that paper after settling for a D.

This lesson was deeply ingrained in my mind and heart, even though I decided to pursue vocation outside the discipline of theology. But the lesson is universal, no matter your field of endeavour you must stand on the shoulders of those that have gone ahead of you. Many years later, when I took on a different profession the same teacher who was then now in his late 70s, repeated these words again, “nanos gigantum humeris insidentes” – He was instructing me to Stand on the Shoulders of Giants.

If the world has thus advanced from one industrial revolution to another, so that we now stand at the beginning of the fourth industrial revolution, with each revolution increasing the potential capacity of the individual human being both for good and evil exponentially - it is because of this powerful concept. We can imagine what world our great grandchildren will live in and what level of technological advancement and experience will be possible to the next generation. Human advancement is therefore a continuum in which each of us is called to be part of rise of the human race or its fall. Mastery of our field, allows us to integrate the past and fuse it with our unique brand of personal greatness to rise higher than way the world was yesterday. It is your personal responsibility.

The characteristic trait of men that have shaped the world in sports, arts, business, politics, science and technology, is Mastery, they have inherently demonstrated certain principles that catapulted them to the summit of their profession. I would like to propose five Principles of Mastery:

1. Every Field has Masters
2. Masters have acquired the Secrets of Excellence in their Field (these are insights, principles, practices, habits and competencies that are unique to that area of human endeavour)
3. You will never become a Master unless you humble yourself to learn from those that have gone ahead of you. You must master what they know, before you go beyond it.
4. Mastery is a Process of Relentless Rigor in the Learning, Application, Internalisation and Integration of the Secrets of Excellence in your Field
5. Mastery requires the Investment of Time and Effort

What’s interesting is that Sir Isaac Newton who maybe one of human race greatest mathematicians, astronomers, and physicists and who is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time and a key figure in the scientific revolution, notes that his amazing breakthroughs had come from standing on the shoulders of giants – learning deeply for those that have gone ahead of him and distilling and integrating those lessons and ideas – taking them to the next level. Strangely, Newton was also quoting, the Jewish Philosopher, Isaiah di Trani (1180-1250),

The wisest of the philosophers asked: "We admit that our predecessors were wiser than we. At the same time, we criticize their comments, often rejecting them and claiming that the truth rests with us. How is this possible?" The wise philosopher responded: "Who sees further a dwarf or a giant? Surely a giant for his eyes are situated at a higher level than those of the dwarf. But if the dwarf is placed on the shoulders of the giant who sees further? ... So too we are dwarfs astride the shoulders of giants. We master their wisdom and move beyond it. Due to their wisdom, we grow wise and are able to say all that we say, but not because we are greater than they”

The question therefore remains, what will you Master? On whose shoulders will you climb to see further? In what field will you sacrifice to advance humanity, so that we will see your indelible mark in the sands of time? What are you waiting for?

SEVEN STEP RECOMMENDATION

I recommend seven simple steps to get you started:

1. Decide what you are committed to become a Master at (A Field, a Skill, a Task or a Process)
2. Identify Masters you can learn from – in person, through books, videos, audios, biographies etc. YouTube has some interesting resource and the Internet makes it easy to do your research.
3. Document the lessons from your Masters and reflect on how you will apply them to you
4. Develop a Plan of Action and find someone that can keep you accountable
5. Set very clear daily, weekly and monthly goals towards your mastery
6. Implement your Plan and keep updating it as your capacity grows      
7. Keep Refining Your Approach until you get the results you want – You will fail your way to success. So Never Give Up!