One of the things I do when I have spare time is audit acting classes. Since I’m regularly asked by my students and coaching clients about certain acting coaches, I figure it’s my responsibility to know what their methods are like, how they behave in the coaching space, and what tools they use to get the results the actors crave. I’ve logged hundreds of hours in acting classes all over the world, and of course, interviewed hundreds of casting directors starting in 1999, asking which coaches’ names mean something, when they see ’em on a resumé.

(And, hey, while I’m visiting these classes, I’m adding to my database of actors whose work I know, which comes in handy when I need to pull together a cast and may not have held any auditions recently. Win-win!)

Okay, so in one of these class visits, I experienced an exchange that really impressed me, and I knew when it happened, “This is a column.” So, here it is.

It was “scene feedback” time and all the fellow students shared thoughts, as did the instructor, who lovingly “yes, and…”-ed the students’ observations and suggestions. One of the students commented on something that happened in the scene and used a word that made the instructor cock his head like a curious puppy. He stopped the student and asked for clarification. The student explained the concept fully, while the fellow students and the instructor leaned in, really curious about this psychological principle that was being applied to what was going on in this craft class.

Then the instructor said something I decided to add to my world, immediately, as you know I’m a junkie for always learning, and therefore will have ample opportunity to say this.

“Thank you for expanding my vocabulary. I didn’t know that concept before. You’ve given me a starting point for exploring something I didn’t know could be applied to this industry. Thank you.”

Awesome.

How many effin’ “gurus” are out there acting like they know everything? Pretending as though their life experience is all that matters and that no one could possibly enrich their personal understanding of a concept by sharing something from “the outside”? So many. It’s gross. It’s old-school. It’s a dying form of instruction and leadership and I’m thrilled to see it go.

I am inspired to see leaders who love to learn (and truly, the best leaders are hungry to learn, to explore what they don’t know). What don’t *you* know about this business? About your craft? About options that may lie outside your comfort zone for getting to your best work? About on-set lingo? About the players who do much of the heavy lifting in this business?

What DON’T you know?

If you’re afraid to explore that, you’re dwarfing your success. The second you think you know it all, you’re done.

Are you willing to explore what you have yet to discover about your career? Are you grateful for the opportunity to walk toward it? I hope the answer is YES. That’s awesome. Let’s do this.

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!

Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001645.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.