Process Alchemy

One of the best feelings in the world? Being the dumbest person in the room.

And no, I don’t mean feeling dumb — I mean intentionally surrounding yourself with people who are so much smarter than you in a specific area that you’re forced to grow. You learn. You shift your perspective. Sometimes, you even have a revelation that fundamentally changes the way you think or operate.

But somewhere along the way, something went sideways — especially in management. The higher you climb, the harder it becomes to admit you don’t know something.

Even the ones who call themselves “lifelong learners” — especially those constantly quoting business books — often get weirdly defensive when challenged. And here’s the kicker: they often miss the point entirely.

They’ll skim a book, latch onto a catchy framework or buzzword, and start making sweeping changes without fully understanding the intent. The result? A team that becomes a testing ground for half-baked ideas. And if you dare push back, suddenly you become the problem — not the flawed execution.

Let’s be honest: books are great. But they’ll only take you so far.

There’s something uniquely powerful about learning directly from people who live and breathe their craft — whether it’s in business, gardening, cooking, design, or anything else. Watching someone operate in their zone of genius lets you see the world through their lens. And once you do, it changes everything about how you show up.

I always say:

Art isn’t about the art — it’s about the artist.

We’ve all walked through exhibits and thought, “I could make that with some string and spray paint.” But talk to the artist — hear their story, their struggle, their process — and suddenly, that piece has soul. It’s no longer just paint on a canvas. It’s meaning. It’s perspective. And it transforms how you experience it.

Now, on the flip side — let’s talk about the awkward and frustrating situation where you know more than the manager trying to “educate” you.

Been there.

Years of experience, formal training, and real-world application — completely dismissed in favor of surface-level management clichés and half-remembered leadership buzzwords.

It’s tough to navigate those moments with grace, especially when the other person doesn’t realize what they don’t know. It’s not always arrogance — sometimes, it’s just unawareness. But trying to correct it? That gets you labeled as difficult, resistant, or “not a team player.”

So, I smile. I thank them for their insight. And then, I quietly bow out of a pointless conversation.

I once read:

“Never take advice from someone you wouldn’t trade places with.”

It stuck with me.

Because the second you realize the person giving you parenting advice has kids who are barely functioning, you stop feeling judged — and start asking why you ever gave their opinion weight in the first place.

But here’s the important question: What if you’re the expert?

This brings us back full circle.

The best experts I know have a natural desire to share what they’ve learned. Not to show off — but to contribute.

Because even as an expert — especially as an expert — real growth happens when you put yourself in rooms where you’re not the smartest one anymore. When you stretch into new spaces, new industries, new skillsets. When you let go of being the teacher and become the student again.

Teaching and mentoring is one of the most rewarding things you can do. But even as you share, don’t forget to seek. Don’t deprive yourself of the chance to sit at someone else’s table, to ask the dumb questions, to feel out of your depth.

That’s where the next level lives.

Keep giving. Keep learning. And remember — expertise isn’t a destination. It’s a mindset.

Maribel Topf has over a decade of teaching companies to transform their businesses through operational excellence. Please join https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14445339/ Lean Office Excellence for more stories on creating a culture of operational excellence.