Could you learn to ride a bicycle from a lecture?
Possibly.
Could you learn to ride a bicycle from a spin around your neighborhood?
Absolutely.
Michael Polanyi wrote: "There are things that we know but cannot tell. This is strikingly true for our knowledge of skills. I can say that I know how to ride a bicycle, but this does not mean that I can tell how I manage to keep my balance on a bicycle. I may not have the slightest idea of how I do this or even an entirely wrong or grossly imperfect idea of it, and yet go on cycling merrily."
"We know more than we can tell" was Polanyi's dictum.
Many of us know how to ride a bicycle, but we can't write down how to do it, at least not in a simple manner for a new cyclist to read the instructions, get on their bikes, and ride off merrily.
Polanyi's dictum is a concept called tacit knowledge.
Knowledge that is not formal or codified is tacit.
Knowledge that is difficult to express or extract, and thus more challenging to transfer to others by writing it down or verbalizing it in a lecture, is tacit.
To ride a bicycle it is best to ride a bicycle and figure it out.
Sure, at first, you will fall and fall again.
But as you keep at it with more sessions and practice, it becomes effortless, and you'll soon be cycling merrily.
Modern jets employed by the US Air Force are massively complex machines of speed, agility, and computer power.
Training to become a fighter jet pilot can take roughly two years.
The cost of training a basic qualified US Air Force fighter pilot ranges from $5.6 million for an F-16 pilot to $10.9 million for an F-22 pilot, according to the RAND Corporation.
And time spent in the classroom and listening to lectures isn't enough to produce a qualified US Air Force fighter pilot.
Not even endless hours spent in flight simulators will do.
Becoming a qualified US Air Force fighter pilot means time must be spent in air flying.
Flying merrily.
Watch a video from the US Air Force Academy on the stages of fighter pilot training here.
Like fighter pilot training, the same applies to senior executives with global ambition.
Time spent in the classroom and listening to lectures will help improve your communications, but eventually, you need to leave the classroom and engage.
If you need help getting out of the classroom and engaging, Caracal is here to help.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
ITK Daily is geopolitical business intelligence for senior executives with global ambition.
ITK Daily curates news @ the intersection of globalization, disruption, politics, culture, + sport and provides actionable insights and sharp commentary.
