Show Off Bad Moves

Don’t show others that you are the smartest person in the room. That is advice that many executives impart to their brightest up and comers. While it may be obvious, when you are bright – and able to connect dots to points that no one else can see – it’s pretty tempting to strut your own stuff. The problem is that it can be obnoxious.

Jerry Weintraub – an all-around entertainment impresario – tells a story in his delightful memoir, about the time Elvis Presley approached him about becoming his manager. Weintraub had produced a series of Elvis comeback performances in the early Seventies and Elvis trusted him. While Weintraub passed on the opportunity, he did make a connection to a top-flight manager in the U.K.

After lengthy negotiations, the manager came to see Elvis in Las Vegas. Weintraub gave the man strict instructions that while he could manage Elvis’s career, he was not to give him advice. He was strictly about business. No problem said the Britisher. So after watching Elvis in concert the manager goes back stage to meet the King. Weintraub watches from a distance as the man asks Elvis if he might make some suggestions about the cape he’s wearing on stage.

Elvis politely – he was always polite to strangers – excused himself and later told Weintraub that the deal was off. Advice about his wardrobe was not what Elvis was looking for in a manager. Yet some people just cannot resist putting in their two-cents and in this case it ended up costing the manager millions.

As gossipy as Weintraub’s story is, it contains nuggets of truth about what it takes to succeed when you are working with people who have power or influence over you – as well as with colleagues who with whom you must collaborate. Sometimes it pays to shut up! There will be plenty of opportunities to show what you know and how you know it but do not show off. People in power don’t like it and people you work with find it annoying.

So if you really the smartest person in the room – trust me, there are those people – how you tone it down in public?

Pace yourself. It is no use telling a super-bright person to start acting dumb – though I have heard such nonsense. What I can advise is to find the right moment to speak up. When discussions hit a stall point, offer suggestions. If others are intrigued, proceed. If people turn away, wait for another time.

Share your ideas with others. Organizations love team players but not all teammates are created equal. Find people you can trust and share your ideas with them. Allow them to introduce them at meetings. Yes, in the short run others will get the credit but in time people will know it is you who are offering solutions that others can use.

Learn to take the spotlight. No I am not contradicting myself: there are moments to step to the fore to show others what you know. You need to do it the right way. Show deference to superiors – that is, don’t tell them how to do their jobs. Offer a better way to do things.

One final piece of advice! Be thankful for your brilliance. Your organization has hired you because you bring that ability to see possibilities where others see roadblocks. So adopt the mindset of a problem-solver rather than a puzzle player. What’s the difference? One who solves problems offers solutions that benefit others. One who fits puzzles together simply satisfies himself.

Smart people who know when to speak up and when to act on their initiatives are a special breed. Don’t squander your opportunities by showing off. Let your cool demeanor speak up for you.