In IT consulting, and perhaps in IT leadership overall, there's a prevailing myth that business and industry expertise isn't all that crucial. The belief often is that best practices, proven frameworks, and methodologies—applied across various industries—are sufficient for setting up infrastructure, security, and data systems. However, I believe it’s a misconception to overlook the value of deep industry knowledge and experience. Understanding the specifics of an industry can play a significant role in shaping effective, tailored solutions.

In the coaching world, being a great marketer doesn’t automatically make someone a great coach. It frustrates me to see so-called experts urging others to take steps they’ve never taken themselves. For instance, I recently met three relationship coaches who weren’t even in relationships, yet they were advising others on how to navigate them. That just doesn’t make sense to me. I’m passionate about coaching and believe it’s valuable, but I encourage people to dig into the backgrounds of their coaches. I can confidently discuss helping businesses because I’ve built and sold three of my own; I’m not asking anyone to do anything I haven’t done myself. While this might just be a pet peeve of mine, I think it’s an important consideration.

It’s about the pursuit of happiness, which ties back to the point we discussed earlier about unrealistic expectations. Society often suggests that we should always be happy, but constant happiness can actually have downsides. When we focus solely on being happy, we risk becoming complacent, losing our sense of purpose, and devaluing meaningful experiences. While happiness is valuable, it shouldn’t be our only goal. Fleeting moments of joy are important, but striving to be perpetually happy is unrealistic and sets us up for disappointment. It's essential to recognize that having unrealistic expectations for ourselves and others can hinder our growth and fulfillment.