There’s this unspoken fear many of us carry in the workplace: the worry that if someone is smarter, sharper, or quicker than we are, it somehow makes us less valuable. It’s almost instinctive, this defense mechanism that kicks in when we feel like we’re not the smartest person in the room. But here’s the truth I’ve learned—being surrounded by people who outshine me in certain areas is not a threat. It’s a blessing.
The idea that we always have to be the most knowledgeable, the one with the answers, or the star of the show is exhausting. It also limits growth. Because when you’re constantly guarding your position, you miss the magic of learning from others. You miss the energy of collaboration that lifts everyone higher. Working with people who are smarter than me has taught me that the measure of my value isn’t in outpacing them—it’s in how I contribute, adapt, and grow alongside them.
In fact, some of the best lessons I’ve ever learned didn’t come from books, courses, or formal training. They came from sitting across the table from someone who thought differently, who solved problems in ways I never imagined, who questioned things I thought were set in stone. They stretched my perspective, challenged my assumptions, and raised the bar for what I thought was possible. That’s not competition—that’s evolution.
The workplace isn’t meant to be a battlefield where we fight to prove who’s the smartest. It’s a collective space where each person’s strength fills in the gaps of another’s weakness. I might not know everything about a certain domain, but if I can listen, absorb, and build on the brilliance of others, then together we create something none of us could have pulled off alone. And that’s the real win.
The irony is, the more comfortable I’ve become with not being the smartest person in the room, the more I’ve grown. Letting go of ego opens doors. It frees me to ask questions without shame, to be curious, to admit when I don’t know something and then watch someone else light up as they share their expertise. That’s when respect deepens and teams thrive—when we’re not threatened by each other’s strengths but inspired by them.
So the next time you find yourself working with someone who’s smarter than you, take a breath and smile. Don’t let insecurity trick you into defensiveness. See it for what it is: an opportunity. A gift. A reminder that you don’t have to carry the burden of knowing it all. You just have to be open enough to learn, bold enough to contribute your unique strengths, and wise enough to appreciate the brilliance around you.
Because at the end of the day, being surrounded by smart people doesn’t make you smaller. It makes all of us stronger.
Kenrick Vaz 