At least once a month someone asks me if I have expertise in their industry, whether they’re building widgets for tow trucks or rockets for NASA. And it has always struck me as the wrong question. I can learn about you; don’t you want to know if I understand what a business model is, or how you might best reach out to your audience?
With that in mind, a huge “thank you” to GM’s new chairman, Edward Whitacre, who told Bloomberg News in an interview:
“I don’t know anything about cars. A business is a business, and I think I can learn about cars… I think the business principles are the same.”
The quote is reprinted in John Baldoni’s terrific blog post on what outsiders need to succeed in an organization. He talks about intelligence, people skills, and strong will. It’s worth a read.
So what do you think? Is industry expertise a deal breaker for you?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I get this question a lot also–have you ever worked with real estate/medical/finance etc. And my answer is that an outside perspective can help clarify your communications.
Good point, Deborah. It can be very helpful to have people who aren’t trapped by institutional history and can see the forest through the trees.