Expert or Gatekeeper? How to Be a Repository, Not a Vault

In today's interconnected world, being knowledgeable alone isn't enough to ensure your success or value within a team or organization. Your true worth lies not just in what you know but in how you share that knowledge. This principle is best illustrated through a story of a friend I had a few years back—one of the smartest people I knew in their field.

Despite their impressive expertise, this friend struggled with communication. They often came across as entitled, unintentionally talking down to others and acting as a gatekeeper of their knowledge. This attitude made them difficult to approach, and as a result, colleagues started avoiding them. They were excluded from meetings and left out of important communications. While my friend perceived this as disrespect, it was more a matter of people seeking a path of least resistance.

This situation underscores a critical point: you can have all the necessary information, but if you make it hard for others to access that information, you'll be seen as a vault rather than a repository. People naturally avoid obstacles, and an unapproachable expert is just that—an obstacle. They will seek out more accessible sources of information instead.

Consider the analogy of a bank. No one wants to deal with a bank that makes it difficult to withdraw money. Similarly, no one wants to rely on an expert who makes it hard to obtain expertise. For those of us who are subject matter experts, it's crucial to remember that our value is not just in our knowledge, but in how we are known and how easily others can learn from us and apply that knowledge to their own situations.

In essence, to truly be an asset, focus on how you communicate and share what you know. Make the process of gaining information from you as seamless and approachable as possible. Your value is amplified when you can effectively transfer your knowledge to others, enabling them to succeed as well.