Sharing Skills

Knowledge and skill are meant to be passed on. The Mature Magician teaches without holding back, mentors without being asked twice, and gives away what he knows. Teaching sharpens what he already understands. And what he passes on outlasts him.

The Manipulator withholds knowledge to maintain power. The Dummy has nothing to share because he never developed mastery. The Mature Magician shares freely.

Sharing skills requires:

Teaching clearly: The Magician explains complex ideas simply. He meets students where they are.

Mentoring patiently: The Magician guides others over time. He doesn't expect instant mastery.

Creating opportunities: The Magician creates chances for others to learn and practice. He opens doors.

Adapting to learners: The Magician adapts to different learning styles. He doesn't force one approach.

Celebrating success: The Magician celebrates when students succeed. He doesn't compete with them.

Letting go: The Magician lets students surpass him. He doesn't hold them back.

When one teaches, two learn. The Magician who shares his skills finds out that teaching is how you really learn something. You have to say what you know out loud, and that's when you find out where the holes are. He gets better by giving it away.

Teaching keeps knowledge alive. Skills that nobody passes on die when the person who holds them does. The Magician who shares what he knows becomes a link in a chain that goes back generations and forward beyond his own life.

The best teachers make themselves unnecessary. They create independence, not dependence. The Magician measures success not by how much students need him, but by how little.

The trick of good mentoring is not making copies of yourself. The Magician who shares well creates people who go further than he did, in their own direction.