Dumbest In The Room

I remember feeling intimidated in my Masters Program because of the depth of knowledge and experience in my cohort.

I thought to myself, “What can I offer?” 

But as time went on I learned to embrace it.

Initially it was a feeling of insecurity and protecting my ego.

Yet I realized I needed to take advantage of all the knowledge that surrounded me.

From serial entrepreneurs to CEO’s to professors, at times I was in awe by the discussions buzzing in the classroom. 

I rarely spoke up in fear of putting my foot in my mouth or having nothing of value to share.

I believe this feeling lasted until an overnight leadership retreat we attended.

It included camping, intense discussions, hiking, etc.

The highlight for me was being paired with a classmate during a hike where we took turns leading the rest of the group.

• My instincts told me to let my friend shout out the orders because her personality and voice were stronger.

• I looked out for those who were struggling and made adjustments to help them recover.

Without going into details, our partnership ended up winning by vote of peers.

It was validating and from that point on my attitude towards participating in class consistently increased.

Now here comes the application.

There are times where certain situations will make you feel like the dumbest person in the room.

It could be because of a lack of education, experience, skills, etc.

But don’t run from those moments.

I learned more from my classmates than anything taught by my professors during the program.

When you become comfortable being the dumbest in the room, your ability to soak up knowledge goes through the roof!

In essence, isn’t that the concept of mentoring?

• You’re going to someone that knows more than you to glean from them.

• Sure, it’s easier on your ego to be the smartest in the group.

• Most people love to “teach” or impart what they know to those who are eager to learn.

The key here is having the humility to be vulnerable enough to admit you don’t have all the answers.

That is the opposite of pride.

Maybe being labeled the “dumbest in the room” is harsh, but it grabs your attention.

The point I’m trying to make is surround yourself with people you can learn from.

You truly do become the sum total of those you spend the most time with.

So the question is, “whom do you hang out with the majority of the time?” 

We all want to be the thermostat, not the thermometer.

But the reality is no matter how strong you are, you still get influenced by others.

So my challenge to you is think about who you want to become more like and start spending more time with them.

If you do that you’ll be on your way to becoming the best version of you.

Here’s to learning, growing and challenging yourself this week.

God Bless,

Scott

P.S. I love talking to companies about the importance of soft skills. If your company or someone you know can benefit show them this video!👇