One of the best ways to improve any skill is to exercise the skill in public; the more demanding the public the better. This is true of writing and of speaking

One of the best ways to improve any skill is to exercise the skill in public; the more demanding the public the better. This is true of writing and of speaking and of most kinds of research. Advice like "get a mentor" or "work with the best" or "learn by teaching" is also a special case of this general principle. We become what our friends demand us to be.