It’s natural to want to be the smartest person in the room but sometimes you’re nothing more than the smartest person in a room full of idiots. In this case, I’m defining, “idiots,” as people who don’t have as much knowledge on a particular subject as you.
You may have a unique skill set in your organization. You know how to do something better than everyone else, which makes you special.
The challenge is that while you may be the most talented in your office, that doesn’t mean you’re the most talented in the marketplace. And in a complex, ever changing business world, do you want to fall behind? You may have gotten a little comfortable atop your throne of knowledge.
This sense of security will vanish when someone in your organization turns to you one day and says, “Company XYZ does this. Why don’t you do it too?”
To Clear the Path of complacency, ask yourself these questions:
- What’s the last good idea you learned, from your field, in the past 6 months?
- When was the last time you implemented (meaning doing more than once or twice) a good idea?
- What resource do you turn to in order to find out the latest developments in your field?
- What’s the weak spot in your knowledge? What are you doing to fill the gap?
Resist the urge to become complacent. Being the best, whether it’s in your company or your industry requires an ongoing commitment. Otherwise the idiots may realize that you’re not so smart.
