When someone gains status, will they still teach you basic skills?

If you had the chance to have lunch with Buffett, could you possibly ask him some of the most basic questions—the kind bank tellers would answer? You wouldn't. You know he wouldn't teach you; he'd get impatient.

Actually, you don't even need to reach that level. In everyday work, some people with more experience already won't answer questions they think you should be able to handle on your own.

When you reach a certain stage, you'll realize that learning from those above you can't solve all your problems. Sometimes, what you need is to ask those below you—but you're embarrassed to do so.

We're accustomed to asking upward. But at some point, the guidance you get from the person you want to ask has a gap compared to what you need for your next step.

That gap is something only learning from those below you can fill.