06/04/2026
Being the smartest person in the room feels good.
Everyone looks to you.
People appreciate you.
The feedback is warm and the ego is fed.
But you are not growing.
Growth does not come from comfort.
Growth does not come from applause.
Growth comes from humility.
Growth comes from being in a room where you have to stretch just to keep up.
Early in my career I stayed in rooms where I was ahead.
It felt safe. It felt good.
But safe and good are the enemies of great.
The day I started surrounding myself with people who were further ahead than me was the day I started actually developing.
You can still serve. You can still give back.
But do not let the comfort of being the expert stop you from becoming the student.
Find a room that challenges you.
Then find a bigger one.
Who is someone smarter than you that you need to get in a room with?