On many occasions people live with the impression that once they have seen something then they also understand it. And this is where most people get it wrong. What people see is just the results, only the tip of the iceberg of what is really going on. Most times what’s really important can’t be seen.
When people talk about how certain companies or people became so successful just take into account the things they see. These are only part of what really matters. More important are the unseen things, the small decisions, actions, approaches that usually go unnoticed.
The best public speakers usually spend a few days to prepare a speech that will last a few minutes. After that they will also rehearse their speech at least a few times. What people see is the 20 minute speech and say it’s all charisma and dismiss all the work behind.
The same goes for companies like Apple in the case of which people talk about the hundred millions they invest in marketing and the genius that Steve Jobs had. What they don’t consider is the principles that the company is based on, the extremely talented people that work there, the innovations they bring.
It’s so easy to minimize things to what can only be seen, but the true value lays in what’s behind. Seeing and understanding aren’t always the same thing.