The Adaptability Advantage: Why Continuous Learning Makes You Irreplaceable

Image generated with OpenAI by the author

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."

~Socrates

  Socrates was trying to tell us something when he said this. It signifies the importance of continued learning and questioning. The older I get, the more I understand why this rings true.

  My father used to have a similar saying, "Education is wasted on the youth."

  He always considered himself a student of life, regardless of his status. For context, before retiring, he was the Director of Public Relations for a major hospital in the area.

  I'd consider that to be a higher-status individual.

  I recall one day upon arriving home, I found my dad reading a book on Ubuntu Desktop, an open-source Linux operating system.

He read an article on how a newspaper switched to an all free open source model to help save jobs. They swapped from Windows based computer to Ubuntu, and any paid software to free open source versions.

  Dad had found it to be so interesting that he decided to learn about the same tools. Being a journalist at heart, the article being on a newspaper added to his interest.

  This is just one example of many where Dad had shown how he's always been a student. It also happened to be my first introduction to Linux, and an early step into the IT career I have today.

  If you want to make a better life for yourself, this is the attitude you need.

  Always be a student.

 "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."

~ Epictetus

  Some people fall into a category of non-students due to their belief that they know everything. Epictetus highlights this idea in the quote above. When you are too sure in your knowledge and unwilling to consider alternative perspectives, you shut yourself off from learning new things.

  Others are just lazy…

  It's not about ego in this case. It's that they are more comfortable with their life and only learn when it's absolutely necessary.

  Avoid being replaceable.

  If you want to set yourself up to be replaceable, be either one of these groups, believe you know all, or too lazy to learn something new. They set themselves up to be either ground level workers, or specialists.

  Ground-level workers are easy to train. This creates an environment that makes them replaceable quickly and easily.

  Specialized workers require more training and schooling. Replicability is harder, but when it happens, it's harder for them to pivot.

"A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one."

~ attributed to William Shakespeare

  Consider the idea of being a generalist. They are the ones who learn, grow, and adapt. If you can easily pivot, you're irreplaceable in the long term. Even if your job is outsourced to someone cheaper overseas or AI, always being a student gives you the knowledge and experience to switch to something new.

  The greatest leaders tend to have multiple skillsets.

  It's not just about giving orders or delegating responsibilities. They need to know the ins and outs of all areas of the organization, financial, marketing, sales, vision, direction, etc. If they didn't know, they will need to learn quickly, or they will be replaced.

  As someone who works in IT, I have found that technology is constantly changing. The need to learn new tools and become proficient quickly is a must.

  Many of these tools will phase out quickly.

  If I wasn't able to adapt and learn, I wouldn't have been able to get promoted several times over the years. It all comes back to always being a student.

  Regardless of your age, status, or position, taking the time to learn will benefit you.

Besides, you never know when that new skill might come in handy.