BusinessLawGuy's Blog

You may not think it but it’s good to be the dumbest person in the room, knowing it, and acknowledging it to others when you want to learn. This allows you an opportunity to learn that 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.

By the way, you know we all are leaders. You may have heard a saying similar to leading up and down. We all have a role to play and you can learn from anyone within the business or other groups you’re a part of.

Whoever you picture as being incredibly smart finds 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.

Note that 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.

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 whoever 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 actually 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.

Recently I was speaking with a young attorney who was lamenting the workload and hours the partners at his firm expected of him and talking about his time at night and on the weekends being his time, not theirs. This struck me because when I was a young attorney I expected to work hard and do whatever was asked of me as I learned a profession. I think that attitude and hard work taught me the profession of law and was part of the road to any professional success i have had. The point is I didn’t expect the it to be easy or to just fall backwards into success; I expected to put in time and energy investing in my potential future success.

When people see someone achieve success it may seem like it was overnight or not too hard. If that’s you, know there is no such thing as instant success or success without putting in hard work. If you’re not willing to do it, others will and they will achieve more than you and be promoted past you even when you have more experience. You’ll be left to wonder why and how it happened. If you’re good with that then keep on doing what you’re doing. If not, maybe you need to decide what it’s worth to you to do more. There is no shame in either path. It’s your choice to make.

If these thoughts sounds harsh, they are. As the title says, life isn’t easy. The road to success is paved with all types of impediments. Only you can choose which road to take when opportunity presents itself. Really, I’m talking about investing in yourself and making the choices that will give you the chance for success because working hard gives you the opportunity but not the guaranty of success. The reality check is that if you don’t work hard you definitely have no real chance for success.

I know some people may be thinking that their vision of success and mine differ greatly. Maybe or maybe not. My vision of success is doing a good job for whoever you work for, whether your employer or its clients or customers, to be able to earn a fair living that allows you to a decent lifestyle in the time you do spend away from work. There is a lot of room in that for all different types and levels of success.

The fact is life is a lot of ups and downs personally and professionally. Challenges come from every corner all the time. How you approach these challenges is up to you. Accepting that life is hard allows you to acknowledge there only is so much you can control and that includes your attitude, your mood, your reaction to and energy put towards those challenges, and what you’re willing to do to reach your version of success. So what are you willing to do to invest in yourself and your potential success?

Each of us is a part of group in relation to our work. You’re part of the company where you work, but probably also are part of smaller formal groups comprised of you and co-workers, as well as part of other professional, industry, or similar groups outside of your company. In every group there is a dynamic of those who speak and those who generally don’t. There also is a dynamic of those who interrupt or ignore those patiently and quietly waiting to speak. This usually leads to the same person or people driving the discussion and the decisions made by the group. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it can lead to a loss of potential ideas for the group to consider on a given topic or issue.

My experience in groups is that there usually are three types of participants. The first is the type who is or fancies themselves to be a leader with good ideas who always speaks up and offers their ideas and opinions. The second is the type who speaks up on topics they know about or which are important to them. The third is the type who is not comfortable speaking in a group setting even when they have a good idea or thought to add to a discussion. These diverse personalities each bring something to the table.

I want to focus on the third group. These people don’t speak often, but when they do it generally is something important to the conversation. The may raise their hand instead of just speaking out for fear of feeling like they’re butting in or speaking over someone else. In the best case they’re called on and share their thoughts. In the worst case those comfortable speaking up don’t notice or ignore the hand in the air so they can make their point. This may result in the person with the hand raised getting tired of waiting or the meeting ending with either of those situations resulting in them not having an opportunity to speak and add to the conversation.

I recently read somewhere that “sometimes people who don’t speak have the most to say.” This struck me as I thought about the number of groups I participate in at my firm and in professional and non-profit settings. The group dynamic. The three types of participants in groups. The important thoughts or opinions lost when the quieter members of a group doesn’t or isn’t able to speak up or have a turn.

Whether you’re a leader or a participant in a group it’s important to make sure all voices are heard. Focus on making sure those who raise their hand are called on to share. If it’s someone who doesn’t even raise their hand, call on them to participate and share their thoughts. The worst that can happen is they say their have nothing to add to the conversation. On the other hand, the best that can happen is an idea that hasn’t been mentioned is not lost.