Have you ever heard the
phrase coined by Michael Dell, ‘never be the smartest person in the room’? All
of us should aspire to be a better parent, role model, leader, employer on a
continual basis, no matter what success we achieve. But if you’re looking around
that room and thinking “how am I benefitting from being in this environment?”
Then you cannot hope to be a better person tomorrow. In short, get out. The
environments in which you choose to live your life must be filled with people
that challenge you, push you out of your comfort zone, that actually scare you
a little in a way that forces you to be better, whether that new challenge
requires patience, team work, communication skills, creativity, or any skill
that you improve as a result.
The ‘room’ can refer to any
element of your life in which other people have an influence, whether it is in
the workplace or on a sports field, or within your friendship group. The whole
concept is to continue to improve by surrounding yourself with the right
people. One of the keys to self-improvement is knowing when you have outgrown a
role or become stifled by negative people, in your professional or private
life. (This does not mean that you should march into your boss’ office and
demand a promotion, nor does it mean you are therefore entitled to one.) But
gaining the realisation that you are ready for a new challenge is a positive
step that should not be ignored. It is not about competition with the people in
the room, it is about competition with your former self, so that day by day you
improve and continue to experience success thanks to your exposure to new
experiences.
Making that transition,
though, can be a daunting prospect to face. The thought of going from being a
big fish in a small pond to a small fish in an ocean of very smart fish, can be
enough to turn anyone against the idea. It is important to realise that instead
of feeling scared, intimidated and a little stupid, all you need to do is
change your attitude towards the task. When you instead focus on positives,
there are two key considerations to make; firstly the knowledge and experience
gap that there may be between you will diminish rapidly as you learn from those
who are better than you. Secondly, simply by standing in that room, you are
already passively associated with these people, you are part of the same brand
and therefore the perception is that you are on the same level as them.
Putting yourself into rooms
full of people smarter than you, wiser than you, better than you in some form,
will force you to be smarter, wiser and better than you were yesterday. Know
when to leave one room, and walk into a scarier one.
