Attitude vs. Skill

I conducted an informal survey a few months ago. I asked friends and colleagues in academia what was being taught in school, especially in higher education. The results, very broadly stated, were that students were being taught “how to,” such as “how to be an engineer,” “how to be a doctor,” (or an attorney or a teacher, etc.).

In fact, the general consensus was that about 90 percent of what students were being taught was “how to.” Those being surveyed went further to say that only about 10 percent of what students were learning dealt with attitudes, and that the vast majority of that learning came from extracurricular activities, such as fine arts, band, or athletics.

I then asked a similar question to a number of business owners, CEOs, and senior managers, “What attributes are most important in employees today?” Their answer: “Attitude is by far the most important attribute in employees; the “how to” is easily learned.”