Experts have been the subjects of curiosity and scrutiny for centuries. As stated in the previous chapter, they are often remarkable people who accomplish extraordinary things. Yet many experts are, in most respects, ordinary people with the same flaws and frailties as the rest of us. The experts, it can be easily pointed out, put their pants on one leg at a time.

It is precisely because experts have failings that this word can be so ambiguous, fleeting, and at times meaningless. Fortunately, researchers who study this subject work diligently to provide precise definitions and repeatable metrics of measurement. They try to bring objectivity to a subject where subjectivity is the norm. As the peer-reviewed literature states, an expert is someone who possesses an expertise, and that expertise encompasses the knowledge, skill, and attitude that distinguish that person from novices. (CHB 3-4)

Too many experts think that their impact will be determined by their level of proficiency in their field. They equate their expert status with their degree of know-how or technical skill. “I am an expert,” they think, “because I am good at what I do.” I am more knowledgeable than others. I am better educated, have more degrees, or put in more years of study. I have credentials. I deliver better results than others. These are some important aspects of being an expert, but they are not the whole package. For experts to maximize their impact, they must be more than sages of knowledge or purveyors of facts. Experts who wield influence, who make a difference, who produce meaningful change, are those who surpass others in all three dimensions of expertise: knowledge, skill, and attitude.

Unfortunately, many experts see themselves in just one dimension. They achieve success in one way and cling to that dimension thereafter. Some experts even dismiss other dimensions as irrelevant or unimportant. Great SMEs, however, broaden their vision and hone their skills three-dimensionally.