Wisdom Can Come From Anywhere

“𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚.”

I saw this quote recently from a “thought leader” while scrolling on social media and honestly…. It doesn’t sit right with me.

Some of the most meaningful lessons I’ve ever learned came from people whose lives look nothing like mine. People older than me with deep wisdom. People younger than me with fresh eyes. People who have achieved great success, and people who have experienced profound failure.

I’ve learned from colleagues in my field, leaders in completely different industries, my own children and my amazing grandmother.

She celebrated her 90th birthday today.
Her love, grit, grace, and perspective have shaped me more than she’ll ever know. ❤️

And so often, those lessons come at the most unexpected times. A hallway conversation. A passing comment. A quiet moment after a hard day. During a super difficult time.

Leadership isn’t about filtering wisdom based on status or resume. I don’t need to worship someone’s life with envy or necessarily walk in their shoes to learn from them. It’s about staying open. Listening deeply. Being willing to learn from anyone, at any time.

Because sometimes the most powerful insights come from the most unexpected places—when you’re paying attention.