organization, known as Chaos. Despite his strong beliefs to the contrary, Agent Smart was not the smartest person in the room. Inevitably, he was assisted, and often unknowingly lead, by his partner, Agent 99...a person with a whole lot more smarts than Agent Smart. When you attend meetings with colleagues, prospects, or clients, do you feel like you're the smartest person in the room? Do others think you are? Do you think someone else is the smartest person in the room? If you think that you are the smartest person in the room, then you may be overlooking a real opportunity!

Andrew B. Zezas, SIOR Relationship Manager, Strategist, President & CEO (908) 245-5999 x11 andrew.zezas@realstrat.com

Some have even told me that I'm pretty bright. While such compliments feel really great, they're also dangerous because if I'm not careful, after a while I could start to believe that they're true. And, that could spell the beginning of chaos and lost opportunities!

How about you? Have others told you how smart you are? Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're no slouch but, the world is full of very intelligent people…those who know a lot more than you and me…people who have received more and better training, have achieved higher levels of learning, have more degrees and more pertinent experience, those who understand what you and I don’t, and those with deeper expertise than you or me.

That's right, you actually may not be the smartest person in the room, and I'm pretty darned sure that, neither am I. Now we're talking!

In the realization that you are not the smartest person in the room lays opportunity! In most cases, the people who are smarter than you want to share their ideas and thoughts with you. After all, why have all those smarts if not to demonstrate that they exist, right?!

The lady standing next to you in the room probably knows something you don't. The guy across the table knows something you haven't considered. The woman sitting next to him knows something he hasn't heard before. They may not all be university graduates or senior executives but, they all know something. And, that something may be just what you need, like an idea; a bit of historical data; a theory; a new approach; a twist on an old concept; a seemingly crazy, far-out, or wild idea....something that you haven't yet considered or maybe what you've already forgotten. But, it's there for you to tap into. That knowledge, that wisdom, those smarts that are better or broader than those you possess are within your reach and available to excel you further than you could go without them.

You see, when a person believes that they are the smartest person in the room, that belief, that one seemingly small error, in and of itself, suggests that that person isn't.....the smartest person in the room. What's more, such a mistake can cause you to miss a very important opportunity...the opportunity to acquire knowledge from others, to capitalize on what other people know, to build on their experiences, to learn more, to become better at whatever you do....to better serve others and to become an even greater success!

Ask yourself: "Do I know EVERYTHING?" That's an easy one. Then, as you begin to feel a bit humbled, ask yourself "Do I know everything I need to know to accomplish my objective?" If you answer "Yes", try again, and remind yourself that someone somewhere knows something you don't. And that something could be the key ingredient in accomplishing your mission, for yourself and for others.

The most successful leaders I've met have been some incredibly quick-minded and intelligent people. Among the most common traits they all possess was the realization that their knowledge and experience created greater results when augmented by what other smarter people knew. They knew that if they actually were the smartest person in the room, their accomplishments and their ultimate success would be limited by what they did not know. And, in order to achieve more, they typically sought out others with more experience, more knowledge, more expertise....more smarts.

So, what's your best move? Accept that, while you may be pretty intelligent, you are not likely the smartest person in the room, or at least you shouldn't be. If you really are the smartest one there, then go to another room, or find people who truly are smarter than you and who can help you accomplish more with what they know. If that means you must find your own Agent 99 then, so be it!

Your best bet will be to ditch the Cone of Silence, get dumb, then Get Smart, and excel further than your own smarts alone can take you!

Andrew B. Zezas, SIOR, is Relationship Manager, Strategist, and President & CEO of Real Estate Strategies Corporation, Publisher of "Business, Profits and Strategy", a monthly online publication read by thousands of business, financial, and real estate executives nationally, and, is the author of two new real estate books, The CFO's Guide to Understanding Corporate Real Estate Transactions and The CFO's Guide to Hiring the "Right" Real Estate Service Provider, both of which will are available at www.TheCFOsGuide.com.

Mr. Zezas is well-known for his ease and informative style of public speaking, and has given informal talks, formal presentations, and has lead training and educational programs for business, professional, government, and trade associations, throughout the US and Canada, including the American Management Association (AMA), the U.S. Postal Service, RealComm, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), and others. Andrew is founder and National Chairman of the SIOR Tenant Representation Specialty Practice Board, a group of over 300 tenant representation focused commercial real estate professionals from around the world. He is a licensed real estate broker in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Florida, and is a licensed real estate instructor in Texas and Indiana. He can be reached at 908 245 5999 or via email.

Real Estate Strategies Corporation, located in Kenilworth, New Jersey, and serving its clients throughout the country, helps companies create and execute Business DRIVEN Real Estate Solutions...and Opportunities, faster and with less risk. Visit www.RealStrat.com.

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