It took me about two weeks during my second job out of college to realize I was working with morons. Now, I was 23 years old, so you can argue I didn't know shit about shit, but I was still able to spot morons at an early age. These guys would argue in every meeting. They had misaligned goals without any real direction. They made acquisitions of products and even a company we never had any business being a part of. They had ridiculous expectations of people, almost as a way to get people to work hard, but it always backfired. I remember walking into work every morning just wondering what was going to happen that day.
Then they started sending me out on the road to develop business. Business we had no business developing. I was going after RFPs with local governments, knowing damn well we couldn't service these contracts even if we got them. But what did I care? I was 23 and happy to be on the road traveling for work.
I knew the company was run horribly, and the guys that were in charge had no business being in charge, but I wasn't quite sure just how bad it was until I found myself in my next role.
The next company I landed at was run incredibly well with intelligent leaders, thoughtful approaches, a real strategy to tackle the market, and people who challenged me in all the right ways.
I was blown away at the difference, and so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with morons previously. Oh, and that previous company closed their doors and ceased to exist — proving nobody knew what the hell was going on around there.
Over the last twenty years of my career, I've had the privilege to work with some of the most intelligent individuals around. People with Ivy League degrees, multi-millionaires who got in the company early, and even still, some morons. What's so fascinating about getting to work with morons is that it allows you to appreciate and respect the good companies and the good teams so much more.
If you only ever surround yourself with the talented ones, you never understand how to navigate the less intelligent ones — and that becomes a skill worth having.
Getting to work with talented people makes such an impact in your career. When you know you're going to be challenged each and every day by people who are thinking two steps ahead of you, it makes you so much stronger. It sharpens you in ways you don't even realize in the moment. You start to prepare differently. You think more critically before you speak. You stop coasting on effort alone and start paying attention to how you think, how you communicate, and how you show up.
At the same time, those early experiences with chaos and incompetence become your reference point. You start to recognize bad leadership faster. You can spot a lack of direction in the first five minutes of a meeting. You develop a radar for bullshit — and more importantly, you learn how to navigate it without letting it derail you.
So if you find yourself working with people who make you shake your head on a daily basis, don't waste all your energy being frustrated. Pay attention. Take notes. Learn what not to do. And when you finally get your shot to be in a room full of people who challenge you — don't take it for granted. That's where your career changes.