I hate to sound like a crazy conservative, but there’s something they say that makes sense.

They’re always talking about the wisdom that comes from being responsible for a payroll. That’s the thing they go on about when they’re promoting a business person seeking elective office.

I’m not sure whether managing a payroll is essential experience for serving in government. I’ll leave that to the pundits.

I do believe, however, that being responsible for a payroll is excellent training for advising others about running a business.

I’d suggest that you not listen to business advice coming from anyone who hasn’t been responsible for meeting payroll.

If they haven’t been on the line for making sure other people were paid, then I’m not sure how much credence I’d give to their advice.

They may have lots of information to share based on articles they’ve read or other experiences: that’s all good.

But learning—really learning—comes from putting yourself on the line. When you know you’re on the hook to a bunch of people counting on you so that they can eat and feed their children, you’re seriously in the game. Those are the people you can trust to understand the importance of your questions. They understand why it matters and what’s at stake.

Those people—the people who have real responsibility—are the people I’d go to for advice on running a business. Those people are the wise advisers you need.