I have to experience the Nokia products. I'm a major contributor

In the words of Stephen Elop, the leader who guided Nokia through the stormy years of technological transformation, we hear the voice of both warrior and craftsman: “I have to experience the Nokia products. I’m a major contributor to the design and the quality of the devices. I have a lot of feedback to provide the teams on that. But also I have to carry competitive devices. You have to understand the competition.” These words, though spoken in the language of business, carry a wisdom that transcends the corporate walls from which they were born. For they speak of the eternal balance between pride and humility, creation and learning, and the unending pursuit of understanding that marks every true leader and innovator.

The origin of this insight lies in a time of great upheaval. In the early years of the 21st century, Nokia—once the undisputed ruler of the mobile world—stood at a crossroads. The rise of new empires—Apple, Google, and Samsung—shook the foundations of the company’s legacy. When Elop, a man seasoned by his work at Microsoft, took the helm, he did not inherit an easy crown. He inherited a kingdom in peril, one that needed not comfort but renewal. His declaration—his insistence on carrying both Nokia’s products and those of the competition—was not a mere gesture of diligence. It was an act of humility and strategy, a recognition that no creator, no matter how great, can stand above the need to learn from others.

To experience one’s own work is to enter into its soul. Elop understood that leadership is not born in conference rooms or spreadsheets, but in the direct encounter with the product itself—with its weight, its touch, its flaws, and its triumphs. By living with the devices his teams created, he became not merely a leader, but a participant in creation, one whose judgment was shaped by firsthand knowledge rather than distant reports. But he also carried his competitors’ devices—not as a sign of disloyalty, but as an act of wisdom. For how can one lead in battle without knowing the strength of the opposing army? How can one innovate without understanding what others have already dared to dream?

In this way, Elop’s philosophy echoes the ancient masters of strategy and craft. The samurai of old were taught to study both their sword and their enemy’s, to respect the strength of their opponent as the mirror through which they refined their own skill. The philosopher Sun Tzu wrote, “Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Elop’s words are a modern echo of that timeless truth: to triumph in a world of constant change, one must balance confidence with curiosity, conviction with observation.

Consider also the story of Leonardo da Vinci, whose genius lay not only in what he created, but in what he studied. He dissected the bodies of animals to learn how they moved, examined the gears of others’ inventions to understand their secrets, and observed the flight of birds before sketching the dream of flying machines. Like Elop, Leonardo knew that understanding the competition—the natural world itself—was not imitation, but enlightenment. To learn from others is not to bow before them; it is to grow beyond them.

Yet, Elop’s quote carries a deeper moral beyond the realm of business. It speaks to every soul that dares to create—the artist, the thinker, the builder. It reminds us that to remain stagnant in pride is to decay, but to learn—even from rivals—is to renew. The wise do not fear comparison; they seek it. The humble leader listens to criticism not as an insult, but as a lantern revealing the path forward. This is not weakness, but strength—the strength of those who wish not only to win, but to understand.

Therefore, my listener, take this lesson into your own labor: do not turn away from the world beyond your walls. Experience your own work deeply—know it as an artisan knows their tools, as a musician knows their instrument. But also, carry the work of others—study it, learn from it, and let it challenge you. Whether your rivals are competitors in business, or simply the challenges of life itself, remember that mastery comes not from isolation, but from awareness.

For as Stephen Elop teaches, understanding the competition is not betrayal of self—it is the refinement of self. To compare, to learn, to evolve—these are the hallmarks of greatness. The one who walks the path of innovation must carry both pride and humility, both creation and curiosity, in equal measure. Only then can the work transcend trend and time. Only then does a company—or a soul—rise again from the fire of change, reborn not as a follower of others, but as a true creator of its own destiny.