Needed Is About You. Useful Is About Them.
Here’s the part the Oracle doesn’t see. Being the one with the answer isn’t just a habit — for a lot of us, it’s where we get our worth. Every question that lands on your desk is a small confirmation that you’re still the sharpest one in the building. So you answer fast, and you call it service.
But needed and useful aren’t the same thing. Needed is about you. Useful is about them. The most useful thing you can do for a sharp person is not hand them the answer — it’s hand them the question, and sit in the silence while they find their own. That silence is the sound of someone building judgment. It only feels like failure because you’ve mistaken being asked for being valuable. Tomorrow: the mirror.
The Right Altitude — available now. therightaltitudebook.com
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