You may not think it, but it is good to be the dumbest person in the room. Knowing and acknowledging it to others lets you learn. This allows you an opportunity to learn what otherwise would be lost. The room may be full of people or just one other person. The point is all of us can learn no matter whether you view yourself as a leader or not.
You know we all are leaders. There is a saying about leading up and down. We all have a role to fulfill, and you can learn from anyone within the company or other groups you’re a part of. The person you learn from may be younger or older. Everyone has something to share or that they know and understand better than you do.
Whomever you picture as being incredibly smart may find themselves in a room where they’re not the smartest. It says something about that person if they are comfortable admitting that and looking for an opportunity to learn or not.
I recently dealt with a situation in which I was combing through social media platforms in relation to a person misrepresenting themselves in negative way that affected my client. I know and use a number of these platforms, but I was trying to search and use one I really haven’t used and don’t know. I went to a much younger co-worker who not only helped me but took the time to show me what she was doing. I clearly was the dumbest person in that room on the topic at hand. By allowing her to show and teach me, I learned information that may be useful to me in the future and allowed me to help my client at that time.
Another thing people do is act like they know about things they don’t. It’s the “fake it ’til you make it” situation. I guess it can work until it doesn’t and whomever you’re speaking with realizes you are not speaking truth. Acting like you know what you don’t is a losing proposition. It prevents you from learning about something you want or need to know and puts you in the vulnerable place of potentially being found out being untruthful. Why would you do that to yourself?
Knowledge is power. None of us have all the knowledge we need. Being open to learning in all situations leads to positive experiences and personal growth. The next time someone asks you if you know about a topic you really don’t, tell them that and ask them what you need to know. It will turn into a positive experience for both of you.
