The Prison of Intelligence

I've been sitting on this story for a while, hesitant to share it. But I think it's time.

🔒 THE PRISON OF INTELLIGENCE: CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING KNOW-IT-ALL

Let me tell you about the trap I built for myself.

Since childhood, I was "the smart kid." Good at reading. Excellent at math. The one called up to solve problems on the board. Every gold star, every teacher's praise reinforced what would become my cage: my value was tied to being the smartest person in the room.

This pattern followed me into my career. In sales, I wasn't winning because I was great at relationships – I was winning because I could answer every technical question. Once again, being smart paid off. Or so I thought.

Here's the thing about making intelligence your identity: it becomes a prison. Every room becomes a stage where you need to prove your worth. Every conversation becomes an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge. Every interaction becomes a performance.

In leadership, this became toxic. I cared more about having the right answer than doing right by my team. My need to be the smartest person in the room was suffocating their potential.

I didn't see how my arrogance was affecting others. I thought my job was to show everyone how smart I was. Smugness became my shield, and self-importance my sword.

Then came the awakening: My intentions weren't aligned with my impact. In trying to prove my worth, I was diminishing others'.

After 20+ years in my career, someone finally said something that cracked the foundation of my prison: "It's not about WHO is right, it's about WHAT is right."

The real breakthrough? It was never about me or my intelligence. True leadership isn't about being the smartest person in the room – it's about creating space for everyone's wisdom to emerge.

Sometimes the most intelligent thing you can do is shut up and listen.

Until next time,
Jeff

P.S. I'd love to hear your story. Has anyone ever shared a truth with you that completely changed your perspective on leadership? Hit reply and let me know. 💭

P.P.S. Pardon the dust. I'm still figuring out writing on this platform. Stick with me, things will improve. Promise! ✨