I finally understand the saying, “don’t be the smartest person in the room.” For those of us who don’t understand the saying it’s because our goal, by nature, is to be the smartest person in the room. As business owners or entrepreneurs we aspire to be the one making decisions, not the one following orders. That logic is faulty. Here is why. Business owners’ greatest assets are his or her employees. Employees should be smarter than you at least in a certain area. Or if you’re in a team it’s best that your peers have more experience than you. First, you can learn from them. Second, if you’re a business owner, they can fill gaps in your services. That sounds obvious, doesn’t it? Even so, I think many entrepreneurs default to the original faulty logic. Look at it this way, if you are the smartest person in the room those around you will eventually catch up to you, but will you keep advancing? If you are a successful business owner that means you have already learned this lesson. Today and in the future surround yourself with a great team, don’t be afraid of their value instead embrace it.

-Valerie
goCerebral