Get over your ego and accept the fact that many people know much more than you. The good side of this is that you can turn it to your advantage. How? Tips follow.
Preventing the implosion of an otherwise reasonable level of confidence when surrounded by smarter people is a difficult task, even if you are aware of your own abilities and strengths. So how do you reprogram yourself to a state where peaceful productive collaboration is possible and prevent a state where you feel like a lost puppy?
1. Know your strengths!
Imagine what it would be like if an otherwise great football goalkeeper tried to be better than Ronaldo? At the end of the day he would be a very bad goalkeeper! So: be aware of your abilities, advantages, knowledge and experience and make good use of them! Forget everything you are 'not' and be aware of what and who you are!
And another secret, which is not so secret: take into account your own knowledge and experience and aim for the best possible results.
2. The stupidest question is the one you don't ask.
If you are surrounded by people who you perceive as real experts, use it to your advantage and them ask, ask, ask and if they are in the right mood, you will discover in them an inexhaustible well of useful knowledge. If you pretend to know everything, sooner or later you will get confused. If you ask a question you show interest and desire to learn. And others think it's good, like they can teach you something.
"If you don't ask, you won't learn. It's all about communication." Short, concise and accurate words Doug Edwards, the first director of marketing at Google.
3. Listen!
Listen to what others are saying and don't talk nonsense just to say something, or worse, come off as a know-it-all! Sometimes it's best to be quiet and just listen.
4. Take your time!
Even if you master psychology and personality psychology, it takes (maybe years) to blend in with the rest of the team. Success doesn't come overnight, it's a fact learning process but as we know, lifelong. There will always be someone who knows more than you, so you'll always have an excuse to make a new friendship.
5. Dissatisfied? Imagine the alternative!
Leo Polovets, who was employed in companies LinkedIn and Google, challenges you: "Imagine alternatives!" Imagine working in an environment where there are no smarter and more capable people than you. Stimulating? No way. Productive? Even less. Rather monotonous and aimless. There is nothing to learn from people who know less, you cannot progress and develop. Don't forget: because of better and smarter ones too you yourself become better and smarter.
READ MORE: 12 first-hand secrets of how successful designers maintain their creativity
6. Remember WHAT you control.
IQ is given to us and it is difficult to change it. In any case, it's just a number at the end of the day. You will never be smarter than everyone else, but you can be the most prepared and the one who works the hardest. It's not the pedigree that matters. Work ethic is important.
7. Read everything and educate yourself. Always and all the time.
Being open-minded and knowledgeable about several topics will open more doors for you and offer you a huge number of cues for conversations with people of different profiles. Smart people are also smart because they are knowledgeable and know more than just what they do.
You know who he is Iggy? Great, familiarize yourself with Virgina. In the end, this means only one thing: Read! Many and varied.
8. Don't compete!
Winning a competition with someone smarter than you can only be a Pyrrhic victory. Accept the fact that there are smarter people because... that's just a fact. And don't compete, because that, yes you just fall out smarter should not be the goal.
