Malcolm Gladwell in Blink says that most who study such things agree that to be an expert or rather a world class expert takes about 10,000 hours of practice. His examples? The Beatles, Bill Gates and others such types. Others say (Morgan W. McCall, Jr.) that the number of years of experience does not predict expert performance, executive effectiveness, or ironically teaching ratings. Yet the very word experience has its Latin roots in meaning,’ to go through trials, or to be tested.’ Those leaders who lead change and who survive crucible experience after experience seem to me most prepared for leadership. I am just saying!