If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.

I give a LOT of keynote speeches. Like, a hundred or more per year, all across the globe. After my speech, I do one thing at every single conference, every single time:

I make sure to sit in the audience later in the day, during another speaker’s performance, and learn all I can from them. Not just about their subject matter. But how they present. Their style. How they talk. Do they use slides? How are they interacting with the audience? What can I learn from them that I can use to improve the next time I talk?

See, when I find a really good speaker, I get filled with a lot of emotions. Excitement. Hope. And yes, even a bit of jealousy. But that’s ​good! ​Because that’s how you grow. If you’re only listening to yourself, you’re not learning from anyone else. And that’s a huge mistake I don’t want you to make. ​If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.

Listen to everyone you can. Surround yourself with people smarter than you. You’ll be amazed what’ll happen.

To doing better,

-Peter

PS: I invite you to spend one day in June in New york City  surrounded by people like Steve Eakin from Startup Blackbelt, Fenton Reese from Bloomberg, Nicholas Sonnenberg​ from Leverage, and 100 brilliant entrepreneurs like yourself at the only day-long Entrepreneurial event for those gifted with brains that are faster than everyone else. ShankMinds: NYC is already 50% sold out – and will probably be entirely sold out within the next two weeks! Get your ticket now, and prepare yourself for greatness beyond your wildest dreams!

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