This weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to be in the room with people who are far smarter and more accomplished than I am.
This is not the room that I generally occupy in my everyday life. To the contrary, in general, I am the smartest guy in the room. (There’s a chance that it is only in my own mind)
I walk into most rooms as the subject matter expert. I bide my time, watching for the perfect moment to captivate the room. I am paid and rewarded for having answers and asking great questions.
On Saturday, I was none of that. In fact, I was in a room of people who are generally in the same position in every room they walk into, but who get paid far larger sums of money, and have twice the experience that I do.
When I walk into the room as the expert and start talking, I am respected, sometimes admired…but I rarely learn anything. In this room, I was quiet and observant. Some people had no clue who I was.
It’s great to be known, it’s great to be respected, but in the conversation for personal growth, the real leaps forward happen when I’m the student, not when I’m the teacher.