If you’ve ever read Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, you quickly realize he isn’t just trying to tell you what great leaders did. He wants you to learn from who they were.

Plutarch studied the lives of remarkable people because he believed character could be learned by paying close attention to the people who came before us. We still learn this way.

I’ve discovered there are two primary ways to grow in wisdom: mistakes and mentors. You can gain wisdom by getting something wrong yourself, or you can gain wisdom from someone who already paid the price.

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That’s why I love asking this question:

Who are you learning from?

The people you learn from don’t have to know your name. They may be a leader you watch, an author you read, or someone who lived hundreds of years ago. But we all need models and examples to help us grow.

Take inventory of your life this week and name the people you’re intentionally learning from right now.

And if there’s someone you think I should be learning from, reply and send me their name along with something of theirs I should read, watch, or listen to.

I’d love to check them out.

Justin