It's hard being the smartest person in the room
FULL DISCLOSURE: I am seldom, if ever, the smartest person in the room.
"Ha. So how are you qualified to write this post?!?" you might ask.
Well, throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with some of the smartest in the world. People that conjure images of John Nash or Steven Hawking. I don't say that in a cheesy cliché way, but in a "OMG THIS PERSON IS QUITE LITERALLY THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPERT IN THIS TOPIC" kind of way.
After years of dealing with these brilliant and beautiful minds, I've realized that being the smartest person in the room comes with a major set of unique challenges.
Here are 3 hurdles the smartest people in the room face every day.
If you're the smartest person in the room, know that we acknowledge how difficult it can be. #thestruggleisreal
If you're not the smartest person in the room, perhaps this post will open your eyes in new ways to connect and collaborate with those who are.
They face a world of skeptics.
When a person knows they are not the smartest person in the room, they naturally feel uncomfortable. If that person is insecure, they will go on the offensive and attempt to discredit the smartest person in the room. They will spitefully look for ways to challenge the ideas of the SP. Most annoying of all, their shallow understanding of the topic often leads to tangential and irrelevant concerns being raised. Concerns that then have to be 'addressed' before a project can move forward.
It takes incredible patience to be the smartest person in the room.
They face a world of isolation.
We've all heard that "it's lonely at the top." Well, I can tell you after a career of working with some of the brightest minds in their industry, it's lonely being the smartest person in the room. In some cases this loneliness is a self imposed introversion. In other cases it is the fact that others are intimidated by the intellect of the smartest person in the room. Many times, it's a combination of both. If you're not the smartest person in the room (like me), go the extra mile to connect with those who are. They often have a difficult time articulating their ideas (see above) and will greatly appreciate knowing they have someone in their corner that can help translate.
They face a world of lazy people.
Understanding the ideas of a genius is hard work. It takes a special person to be able to apply advanced mathematics to solve real problems. Chances are when they explain the theory behind it, you won't understand it. Most people stop there... lazy people stop there. We aren't willing to put in the effort or learning that is required to understand the application of their theory. And when things aren't understood, they are usually dismissed. And what do you have then? A wicked smart person with potentially ground breaking innovation, and no one who will listen to them.
In my role managing research and development at a Fortune 500 company, I took it as a personal challenge to put in the work required to understand the theory of our brightest scientists. And what astonished me most, was how few of my peers and leadership were willing to do the same. Instead, they would dismiss the ideas as too complicated or too far fetched. By putting in effort; I was able to help them translate their passion to problems we were trying to solve. AND along the way I learned about some incredible topics like game theory, cognitive networking, and RF propagation phenomena.
These are just a few hurdles the smartest people in the room face every day. If you're one of the smart ones, know we recognize your gifts and intellect and the unique challenges they present. Stay humble and keep pushing. If you're not one of the smart ones, that's okay! Don't be insecure if you find yourself surrounded by intellectual giants. Instead, put in the effort to connect with them and to understand their ideas enough to help champion them. You never know... you might end up finding your name listed as a contributor of a conference paper that you still can't fully understand when you read it.
Here's to the smartest people in the room that have the patience to put up with mere mortals like me.
Strategisch illustrator bij Provincie Gelderland / Eigenaar EssentieSchetsen.nl
7 年“If you ever find that you're the most talented person in the room, you need to find another room.” Austin Kleon - Steal like an artist
Continuous Improvement Specialist at Sasol Synfuels
7 年This type of behaviour is also very evident in organisations that still have a command and control culture.
NDE Survivor, Entrepreneur, Business Strategist, Stock Trader & Old Ways Expert. Coaching women how to live a life.
8 年This was my dream/goal/mission too but life had other plans for me. There is one person there who was the biggest gdfn roadblock!! He was even nicknamed "the one whose name shall not be spoken" by the senior scientists. You will know it is him when you hear these words: "That's a stupid idea!" "That will never work!" "Whose stupid idea was this?" And he's still there. Incredible. The geniuses in the room can handle young, uneducated, wide-eyed "mortals" who try. But their patience wears thin with "him". Mine did. Keep trying. Thumbs up.
Strategy & Integration Leader at Raytheon
8 年Don't be silly, you are often the SP.
Space Systems Engineering Manager
8 年I just learned to write procedures at an 8th grade level in order that they might be read, clearly understood and followed. Very hard for me. But things have to be broken down if they are going to be enjoyed and used by the masses.