You’d think it would be an enviable position, but I know a Stanford MBA who doesn’t like being the smartest person in the room. “Nobody ever challenges me,” she complains. “They all just do whatever I say.”
There’s wisdom in this attitude, because having people around you who are skeptical and hard to convince, who analyze and criticize your ideas, plans, and actions, can often lead to better results.
It works like this:
Your Mistakes Are Discovered
Unless you are perfect, you regularly overlook promising opportunities and plunge ahead into hidden pitfalls. That’s just how humans operate. Without fair-minded skepticism and criticism from competent others, you are alone in setting the upper limit on your capabilities, productivity, and success.
But when others bring to the table additional knowledge, skills, experience, talents, and capabilities, separate and different from your own, they will often help you recognize otherwise overlooked opportunities, as well as enticing and potentially perilous mistakes.
As a result, having skeptical critics working on your side will often boost the upper limit of what you can achieve.
Your Weaknesses Are Bolstered
When no one challenges you, your weaknesses have free rein to limit your level of results. Without skeptical challengers, you may well accomplish a great deal. But you can never rise higher than you personally believe is possible, nor can you complete tasks, projects, and goals you are unwilling to attempt.
When bolstered by challengers and critics, however, the limits on what you can produce are likely to expand. People with honest skepticism and sincere doubt who buy into your tasks, projects, and goals will often work to support the very capabilities where you are the shakiest.
Of course, for skeptics and critics to help you, you must be alert to your own weaknesses and willing to accept support. But that’s a topic for another of these advisories, hopefully one you already have learned.
Your Skills and Knowledge Are Fortified
On a more positive note, dealing with people who challenge you and honestly analyze your ideas, plans, and actions can fertilize and nurture improved results.
This is because we tend to benefit from confronting fair-minded opposition. In addition, we learn far less from uncritical supporters than we do from people who disagree with us, or who point out holes in our thinking.
People who routinely help you identify additional opportunities, make better use of resources, and pursue smarter actions routinely prove far more valuable than those who don’t.
Your Ideas and Plans Are Improved
Just as the value of an investment can climb limitlessly high, there’s no upper limit on the benefits you gain from others who challenge your ideas, thoughts, and plans: their viewpoints, experiences, suggestions, and criticisms can markedly improve your results.
Whether they offer positive suggestions or specific criticisms, skeptical and challenging people can encourage you to do a better job of thinking, planning, and taking action.
To be sure, there are situations that benefit greatly from supportive, agreeable people who can help you realize your vision of what’s possible and what’s worthwhile to attempt.
But while they may be difficult to accept, people who fairly criticize and analyze your ideas, plans, and actions in both your work and your life add undeniable value. Their honest skepticism and pointed analysis will nearly always stimulate improvements in your level of productivity and success.
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