Think back to when you were at a major crossroads in your life. Whether you were 22, 30, 45 or so on, you had to decide to pursue one path over another: learning in the field or in the classroom. When I think about my career and how much I've learned over the years, I realize that it's what I learned in the School of Hard Knocks that has been the best classroom I could ever have encountered.

Why? Two things: the utter pain of failure and the utter joy of acquiring a new skill. Failure and skill acquisition are two keys to success. In this discussion, I argue that the best way to achieve both are through the experience you obtain while working.