I'M WRONG

When was the last time you actually said, "I'm wrong"? Are you someone who finds it hard to admit your own faults? Or are you one of those people who doesn't have a hard time owning up to your shortcomings?

A few years ago I went to a career consultant for an assessment to find out why I became bored at work. It was because I was typically the one with the most knowledge about certain things. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I wasn't in the presence of other intelligent people. It just meant that most often, I was the "go-to" person. Since then I've made it a point to surround myself with people who know more than I do. The way to truly learn is to put yourself around many different types of people, from all walks of life, with different backgrounds. When you allow yourself to have these types of experiences, that's when you begin learning on a different level.

I DON'T KNOW

It's a good thing when you can openly confess you don't have all the answers.

I was talking to someone recently and the person used a word I'd never heard before. My response to her was, "I have no idea what that word means, however...". In most cases, I would've asked what the word meant, but in this instance we were talking about plumbing and I have no desire to add plumber's jargon to my vocabulary. The point I'm making is that I didn't feel intimidated or less-than because I didn't know the context of the word and I continued to communicate in the most effective way I knew how. At that moment, I expressed the fact that I simply didn't know.

As you lead and grow, this is a characteristic you must have. You have to be comfortable knowing you're the person being looked to for inspiration and solutions and with all that being said, you're still a work in progress. This is when you know you're gaining more self-confidence.

Photo credit: Mr. Flibble