Never stop learning: A lesson for the next generation of advisors

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, we naturally reflect on the values that have helped our nation grow and prosper: freedom, opportunity and innovation. But there is another quality woven throughout our history that deserves recognition: a commitment to lifelong learning.

From the earliest days of our nation, Americans have understood that success requires a willingness to learn, adapt, and improve. Long before there were universities, professional certifications and online education, knowledge was passed from one generation to the next through apprenticeships, mentorships and hands-on experience. Craftsmen taught apprentices. Farmers shared techniques with their children. Business owners passed on lessons they learned to those who would one day take their place.

For 250 years, that willingness to learn has helped Americans adapt to change, embrace innovation and seize new opportunities. The tools may have changed, but the principle has not: People who continue learning are better prepared to build the future.

I have spent more than five decades in the insurance and financial service profession, and one lesson has remained constant throughout my career: The moment you think you know everything is the moment you stop growing.

An early experience teaches a lesson

One experience early in my career taught me a lesson I never forgot. Like many new advisors, I was hesitant to approach friends and family about insurance because I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable and, in my mind, infringe on relationships. One of those friends was Jeff. He was a few years older than me and had a wife and two children.  We had not talked because of my attitude of not wanting to impose on our friendship. Then Jeff was killed in a car accident.

In the days that followed, I learned that his family knew they needed more insurance and his wife Becky, said Jeff told her he would not buy it from anyone but me. She said Jeff had said, “John is new to the business, and he will talk to us when he gets settled.”  She then told me, “I sure wish we had talked.”  They lost their home, she and their two children had to move in with her parents, and it was my fault. The consequences were significant, and the experience forever changed the way I viewed my profession. I realized that what I had considered an uncomfortable conversation was an act of service. Families depend on us to help them prepare for life's uncertainties. The work that we do matters.

My decades of experience have taught me something I didn't understand when I first entered the profession: Our responsibility to clients requires a commitment to continually improving ourselves. In many ways, that same mindset has fueled America's success for 250 years.

If I could offer one piece of advice to a young advisor today, it would be this: Never stop learning, because the families you serve deserve your very best.

The products will change. Technology will evolve. Consumer needs will shift. What hasn't changed is our responsibility to continually improve our knowledge and skills so we can better serve others.

Professional development matters

That is why professional development matters. The most successful advisors I know are not the ones who think they have all the answers, but the ones who remain students of the profession throughout their careers. They seek new knowledge, embrace new ideas, and continue growing long after they achieve success.

As America celebrates its 250th birthday, I am reminded that every generation faces a choice. We can rely on what we already know, or we can continue learning, adapting and preparing for what comes next.

To the next generation of advisors, my message is simple: Never stop learning. Your clients deserve it. Your career depends on it. And our profession's ability to serve American families for the next 250 years may depend on it as well.

John W. Wheeler Jr., CFP, CLU, ChFC, CRPC, LUTCF, CLTC, LACP, CPFA, is president-elect of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Contact him at john.wheeler@innfeedback.com.