The Lever That Shifts The World

Archimedes famously stated that given a lever long enough, and a fulcrum to place it upon, he could move the world. 

Even the most immense object, as large as the earth, can be moved by a mere human when equipped with the right leverage. 

As experts this is fascinating for us to contemplate. 

The value of our work, and thus the prices we can command, can change radically according to the levers we pull. 

• The lever of our unique experience and skills. 

• The lever of the type of problem we solve. 

• The lever of the specific types of persons or businesses we help. 

• The lever of the results or solutions we create. 

• The lever of the rareness of the problem, person and solution we address. 

When contemplating our value as experts, we can ask ourselves the same question: 

What lever can I pull [or push] to create the maximum value?

Of course we can do more of something and so create more value. This is the massive scale lever. 

We can find more important clients who will pay more for results or solutions. This is the premium service lever. 

We can find better and smoother ways to solve an old problem, adding value in such a way that it compounds. This is the innovation lever. 

All of these levers are powerful however there is one lever not mentioned here that creates the greatest leverage of all. 

It’s the lever of stopping all activity and action, to ask better questions. 

In this absence of action, we are able to offer something to our clients that no one else is able to offer. 

Our intuition and our insights. 

There is something about each of us as experts that knows, intuits and sees problems in a unique way. 

It’s this insight that makes us truly expert and can truly shift the world. 

Think of Socrates, who in his life didn’t launch a school, yet students followed him. 

He didn’t write any books, yet others recorded what he said in writing. 

He didn’t build monuments, lead an army, build cities or amass wealth [that we know of]. 

He asked very good questions. 

He asked such good questions that the establishment felt he was challenging the very traditions of their society and condemned him to death. 

Socrates chose to not stop asking questions and bore his death with clarity of conscience. 

And Socrates literally shifted the world. 

The rest of western history is changed because of one man doing less, and asking more questions. 

Think of Jesus Christ, who in his life didn’t launch a school, write a book, build a monument, lead an army, build cities or amass wealth. 

He told stories and asked very good questions. 

He asked such good questions and made claims to his own identity that led the establishment to feel he was challenging the very traditions of their society and condemned him to death. 

Christ chose to not stop making these claims about his identity and bore his death with clarity of conscience. 

And Jesus Christ literally shifted the world. 

The challenge here as experts when contemplating the levers we can pull to create value, is to find the lever long enough to shift the world. 

We find it when we stop all activity and action and ask good questions.

If we go deep enough, we are able to find a lever that can shift the world.

Hey I’m Jen 👋

🚀 I specialize in helping experts to attract more frequent, easy to sign, ideal clients through clear online messaging.

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