The Expert

Bill Lee is a self-made expert and a bit of a maverick. He is very good at identifying what’s going to be important then getting himself onto the centre of it. He becomes the expert in demand: the guy worth paying for his knowledge. He seems to do this through a combination of repeatedly asserting that a concept is very important, convincing others he is at its cutting edge and developing a clear, sexy vision for its implementation. Networking is his key skill: he collects people and he takes care of his relationships with them. There are fundholders in national organisations; academics with research findings; established gurus. Then there are the implementers; reliable and knowledgeable, who get on with the task in hand. I probably met him at a conference somewhere in London.

He finds out what funding is likely to be available and plans how best to ensure he gets his share. He’ll get a big contract and deliver on time through managing his contacts expertly. There are always several concurrent contracts. He may be running courses that pay travel expenses enabling him to plan other meetings around them at zero cost to him or acting as consultant to one team and managing another chasing the same government contract. He takes his laptop everywhere: editing his new book in the group work slot of one of his training courses; running a live spreadsheet as costs are negotiated; or showing off photos of his latest property development.

I’ve had various roles in the web. Sometimes he’d phone for a comment to use in a newspaper feature, for 3 days work preparing materials for a conference or for a detailed industrial case study. I’ve worked directly for him and I’ve worked in teams he’s put together for other organisations, always well remunerated. He’s a good negotiator. Recently I took on a contract of my own on The Other Side, and have seen him less because of it.

Over the 15 years or so I have known him, he has transformed himself from a down at heel divorce with custody of 3 children to a New European with properties abroad and an enviable lifestyle - all through listening to people and making things happen for them. He has always talked himself up brilliantly. He has a bit of a reputation for avoiding bills at times, but I reckon it’s good value. It has been like living alongside a soap opera. When I see mutual acquaintances he is always the first topic of conversation: we need to know What Happens Next.

Bill Lee is living proof that the people you know, work and relax with are very important to who you become and how your life goes. He also reinforces my view that being positive about yourself is essential. It just is. What does the song say? Lah dah dah dah Respect Yourself.