The Wrong Room

One of my favorite quotes was shared by the editor of Men's Health Magazine @DaveZinczenko via Twitter.  The tweet says:

"WHAT WINNERS KNOW: If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room."  

As leaders and learners we must surround ourselves with others that have more wisdom, knowledge, and experience than we do.  If we don't, we will become stagnate, irrelevant, and ineffective.

Growing up playing sports, I can remember my Dad encouraging me to play against older kids because it would make me better.  Although it didn't feel like it at the time, it began to make a huge difference in my ability.  We rise to the level of our competition.  If there is not a need to improve, you probably won't. 

For those of you in a leadership position such as a teacher, CEO, superintendent, etc. part of your job description is being the smartest person in the room.  If this is the case and you are the wisest and most experienced, make sure to dedicate time to attend Professional Development, find a mentor, further your education, and meet with other leaders in your field and in other fields to stay sharp.

Twitter, blogs, and other forms of social media make this possible more than ever today.  My favorite aspect of Twitter is the ability to learn from so many leaders from across the country on a daily basis.  @KevinEast refers to this on his blog as having distant mentors.  You can read that post here.

The Book of Proverbs says it this way:

As iron sharpens iron, so one man (or woman) sharpens another.   -Proverbs 27:17. 

Are you in the right room?  If not, what are you going to do about it?


Next Steps:
1. Find a few leaders that you respect and make them your distant mentors via books and social media.

2. Contact a leader in your organization, church, or community ask them to meet with you.  Most would love to meet with anyone who aspires to improve.  Make sure you come prepared with a list of questions and topics of conversations.  Don't just show up and say, "Teach me."

3. Think of a few of your friends, coworkers, or anyone that you think wants to learn and grow, and ask them if they would be interested to meet for breakfast or lunch on a regular basis.  You can read and discuss books, share what each is currently learning, or anything else that involves personal and professional growth.