What do CEOs, NBA stars, and Hollywood's elite share? At first glance, very little.
TL;DR
- Even billionaires and Oscar winners seek input during filming, according to MasterClass CEO David Rogier.
- Highly accomplished individuals, regardless of status, actively seek feedback and embrace self-improvement.
- The ability to learn rapidly is a vital superpower for high achievers in their careers.
- Embracing uncertainty and discomfort is key to growth and separating top performers.
Despite originating from vastly different backgrounds, they all possess a single, potent characteristic: a relentless drive for self-improvement. That’s at least according to David Rogier, the CEO of MasterClass—an online learning platform, valued at $2.75 billion in 2021, where celebrities and industry leaders teach everything from cooking and acting to Business ownership and digital content production.
According to Rogier, regardless of an individual's wealth or accolades, the most accomplished individuals on his platform actively seek feedback and are comfortable requesting it.
I figured when you're at your peak, perhaps not, but like all of our instructors, each time the camera stops rolling, they inquire: What aspects were successful? What things failed to occur? What areas could they enhance? Rogier mentioned to Coins2Day that even individuals who are MVPs, All-Stars, and have received Oscars, Emmys, and Grammy awards still request notes and feedback.
MasterClass features renowned figures such as Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, Stephen Curry, Kris Jenner, and Samuel L. Among its celebrity instructors. Jackson—each renowned for achievements in remarkably distinct fields. When considering growth, Rogier stated that they are all identical: “I was shocked at not only how hard these people work, but that they crave feedback.”
Rogier stated that throughout their careers, high achievers frequently possess a single superpower that's grown more vital than ever: the capacity to learn rapidly.
“Your ability to learn things fast is now probably the most important skill,” the 42-year-old said.
Embrace the uncertainty of not having all the answers
From afar, trying to match the achievements of well-known brands might seem like an incredibly difficult challenge. Rogier, originally from Los Angeles and later earning his MBA from Stanford, maintains that it's simpler than it appears, provided one is prepared to venture beyond their usual boundaries.
Fear often stems from a lack of knowledge. Rogier stated, "You're going to be judged on it for the first time." During that process, self-training is essential. It is also like a confidence thing to go and actually, when I don’t know something, to take that discomfort and go chase it.”
That willingness to embrace the unknown, Rogier said, often separates those who reach the top from those who plateau along the way. British race car driver Lewis Hamilton, one of MasterClass’s most popular instructors, puts it this way: if the path to success were easy, someone else would’ve already done it.
“If you go on a training bike, and you’ve got it in the first gear—and you’re not getting any resistance, there’s no feedback, it’s easy—you’re not challenging yourself,” Hamilton said in his MasterClass course. “I think you’ve got to set goals and targets that you can almost think that, ‘Geez, that’s not possible. How am I going to get there?’”
For Hamilton, setting challenges—even when they seem out of reach—helped cement his career trajectory. As early as age 10, he reportedly wanted to be a Formula One driver. By 21, he became the sport’s youngest champion, and he’s since secured his place among the greatest drivers of all time.